Mother, infant among 4 dead as Hurricane Florence lashes coast

At least four people in North Carolina are dead as the result of Hurricane Florence.

A mother and infant were killed when a tree fell on their home in Wilmington.

The tree fell around 9:30 a.m. on Friday, WECT-TV reported. The home was inhabited by a family of three, and the man in the home survived, the station said.

RELATED: Official updates from the National Hurricane Center 

Officials say a woman had a heart attack in Pender County, North Carolina and emergency crews were unable to get to her.

TWITTER: Follow Action News Jax Meteorologist Garret Bedenbaugh in N.C.

A fourth person died in Lenoir County while plugging in a generator, authorities confirmed to ABC News.

The National Weather Service says 14 to 15 inches of rain has already fallen north of Swansboro, North Carolina and it's only going to get worse. Weather Prediction Center senior forecaster David Roth said catastrophic flash flooding is expected to continue to worsen Friday.

North Carolina officials say parts of the state could experience a once-in-a-millennia flood as Hurricane Florence dumps rain for days to come.

Gov. Roy Cooper said Friday morning that Florence is "wreaking havoc" and he's concerned "whole communities" could be wiped away.

Hurricane Florence is weakening as it moves further inland, according to the National Hurricane Center. Top sustained winds are now 75 mph, the NHC’s 1 p.m. report says.

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