DEVELOPING: Mom, infant die when large tree falls on home during Hurricane Florence

A mother and infant died after a tree fell on their home as Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina, marking the first two deaths related to the storm.

The Wilmington Police Department confirmed the deadly incident on Twitter, mentioning that the father is being hospitalized for injuries he suffered when the large tree fell on the home. WECT reported that the incident occurred at around 9:30 a.m. Friday.

A police spokesperson told the news station that the family-of-three were trapped in the Wilmington home. Crews from three agencies—including FEMA—reportedly participated in rescue efforts.

So far, officials have attributed two deaths to the Category 1 storm: Someone in Lenoir County died as they plugged in a generator while a woman suffered a heart attack and emergency crews were unable to reach her in time.

Though Hurricane Florence is weakening as time goes on, significant flooding has been reported and is expected to worsen throughout the day Friday, according to WPVI.

“We are expecting several more days of rain,” Governor Roy Cooper said. “Our focus now is getting people away from immediate danger. And then it will shift to putting our communities back together.”

[Featured Image: AP Photo/Chuck Burto]