Dead Fish Cover I-40 as Florence Floodwaters Recede in North Carolina

Firemen from Penderlea hosed off a stretch of North Carolina highway after receding floodwaters from Hurricane Florence left behind a carpet of dead fish.

First responders on Saturday, Sept. 22, came across a mass of fish carcasses strewn across a portion of Interstate 40 near Wallace, North Carolina, exposed by falling water levels a week after the hurricane-turned-storm made landfall and sparked massive flooding.

“Well, we can add ‘washing fish off of the interstate’ to the long list of interesting things firefighters get to experience!” the Penderlea Fire Department said in a Facebook post.

The fish were discovered along a stretch of the highway about 40 miles northwest of Wilmington, North Carolina, where the hurricane first hit the ground.

“Hurricane Florence caused massive flooding in our area and allowed the fish to travel far from their natural habitat, stranding them on the interstate when waters receded,” the fire department added.

Netizens weighed in on the post, many expressing sympathy for the dead fish.

“Another casualty of Florence?” wrote Patricia Paul-Crook.

“This is so sad. I’ve never seen this happen before and it’s probably the first storm to ever have done such widespread destruction. Praying for all affected by this storm” said Brenda Roberts.

An employee from the North Carolina Department of Transportation also posted pictures, showing the fish strewn along the shoulder of the highway.

It’s Not Over Yet

Travel remained dangerous in parts of North Carolina on Saturday, where the governor warned of “treacherous” floodwaters and urged residents to stay alert for flood warnings and evacuation orders.

“Hurricane Florence has deeply wounded our state, wounds that will not fade as soon as the flood waters finally recede,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said.

Flooding from Sutton Lake has washed away part of U.S. 421 in New Hanover County just south of the Pender County line in Wilmington, N.C., Sept. 21, 2018. Matt Born /The Star-News via AP

Cooper said on Saturday that nine of the state’s river gauges are at major flood stage and four others are at a moderate stage, while parts of Interstates 95 and 40 will remain underwater for another week or more.

Emergency management officials said residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed will begin moving into hotel rooms next week.

Part of the Starlite Motel is washed away in the aftermath of flooding from Hurricane Florence in Spring Lake, N.C. Florence washed away half the rooms at the Starlite Motel ripping away the livelihood of a family that bought it in recent months. Sept. 19, 2018 AP Photo/David Goldman, File photo

A coordinator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) told the Associated Press that as of Saturday, about 69,000 people from North Carolina have registered for assistance.

Hurricane Florence has claimed least 43 lives since hitting the region with prolonged heavy rainfall and major flooding.

A swift recuse boat motors through floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Nichols, S.C., Sept. 21, 2018. Virtually the entire town is flooded and inaccessible except by boat, just two years after it was flooded by Hurricane Matthew. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

In neighboring South Carolina, new evacuations were ordered as the town of Nichols was completely inundated by water.

A sign commemorating the rebuilding of the town of Nichols, which was flooded two years earlier from Hurricane Matthew, stands in floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in Nichols, S.C., Sept. 21, 2018. Virtually the entire town is once again flooded and inaccessible except by boat. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Mayor Lawson Batter told the Associated Press that the storm was “worse than Matthew,” which destroyed almost 90 percent of the town’s 261 homes in 2016.

“It’s just a mess,” he said. “We will try everything we can to come back ... but we need to have federal and state help.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.