CDC report: Half of Matthew dead victims of drowning

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A new report from the Centers for Disease Control revealed Wednesday that more than half of those killed from Hurricane Matthew died due to drownings. The final report said the hurricane was responsible for 43 deaths in the United States, 23 of which were caused by drowning. Eighteen of those 23 drowning victims were in vehicles, the report states. Hurricane Matthew blew through Florida, South Carolina, eastern Georgia and North Carolina in early October. Five South Carolinians lost their lives in the storm. In Clarendon County, residents saw more than $5.6 million in damages, and power was out for some homes for more than a week. North Carolina had more than double the death toll of any other state; 26 people were killed by the storm, which came nearly a year to the day after the October 2015 flood that devastated much of South Carolina. Of the 43 U.S. deaths in Matthew, 18 victims were 65 or older, meaning seniors were 42 percent of all fatalities.