Florence hits Carolina ; death toll rises to 31

Rain-gorged rivers threatened further flooding on the storm-battered US East Coast Monday as the death toll from Hurricane Florence, now a tropical depression jumped to 31.

Emergency management authorities in North Carolina said an earlier toll of 17 had risen to 25 since Florence made landfall Friday as a Category 1 hurricane, with its aftermath threatening further flooding as well as potential dam failures and landslides.

Six deaths have been confirmed in neighbouring South Carolina, with the latest being the driver of a pickup truck who drove into standing water in Lexington County.

More than a dozen rivers across North Carolina were at major flood stage on Monday or threatening to rise to critical levels.

Some half a million customers in the Carolinas were still without electricity on Monday, according to emergency officials.

The National Weather Service said there is an "elevated risk for landslides" in North Carolina. State officials said there had been a small dam breach that did not cause any significant damage and they were monitoring other structures closely.

- AFP