Two dead in East Coast flooding as flash flood fills a mother's car and heavy winds cause a tree to fall on two cars on an interstate

  • Drenching rains along an already-saturated East Coast drowned, 56-year-old Sylvia Arteaga of South Carolina, whose car quickly filled up with water
  • North Carolina Highway Patrol Lt. Jeff Gordon a the fatal crash happened on Interstate 95 when a tree fell across the road, hitting two vehicles
  • Authorities around the region have warned of saturated soil giving way to falling trees, which appears to have played a role in the death 

Drenching rains along an already-saturated East Coast caused major flooding on Thursday, drowning a woman whose car quickly filled up with water and prompting flash-flood warnings from historic Charleston to Washington, D.C.

An early-morning downpour dumped 4 inches of rain on Spartanburg in a short time, causing floods that submerged several cars. To the northeast, one person died and another was injured in a crash near Fayetteville, North Carolina, when a tree fell across an interstate and hit two cars.

Residents across the region were bracing for several more days of rain and a possible strike by Hurricane Joaquin - a major Category 4 storm set to wallop the Bahamas and move toward the U.S. 

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Submerged: Drenching rains along an already-saturated East Coast caused major flooding on Thursday, drowning a woman whose car quickly filled up with water and prompting flash-flood warnings from historic Charleston to Washington, D.C

Submerged: Drenching rains along an already-saturated East Coast caused major flooding on Thursday, drowning a woman whose car quickly filled up with water and prompting flash-flood warnings from historic Charleston to Washington, D.C

In South Carolina, 56-year-old Sylvia Arteaga was driving home after a night shift at Bridgewater Candle Company on Thursday morning when authorities said the floodwaters trapped her underneath a railroad bridge (pictured)  at the edge of Spartanburg

In South Carolina, 56-year-old Sylvia Arteaga was driving home after a night shift at Bridgewater Candle Company on Thursday morning when authorities said the floodwaters trapped her underneath a railroad bridge (pictured)  at the edge of Spartanburg

Flooded: Floodwaters drenched South Carolina on Thursday and submerged cars, killing one woman 

Flooded: Floodwaters drenched South Carolina on Thursday and submerged cars, killing one woman 

Forecast maps show the storm passing the Bahamas and then making its way toward the U.S. over the next couple of days, though it's currently still unknown where or if the hurricane will make landfall in the United States. Above, the storm at 9.37am on Thursday

Forecast maps show the storm passing the Bahamas and then making its way toward the U.S. over the next couple of days, though it's currently still unknown where or if the hurricane will make landfall in the United States. Above, the storm at 9:37am on Thursday

Joaquin could intensify damage around the region, but more rain is forecast regardless of the storm's path.

In South Carolina, 56-year-old Sylvia Arteaga was driving home after a night shift at Bridgewater Candle Company on Thursday morning when authorities said the floodwaters trapped her underneath a railroad bridge at the edge of Spartanburg. Below the bridge, the street narrows to one lane and cars have to alternate passing under it to let traffic flow through, reports Fox. 

Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger said in a news release Thursday that Arteaga's car flooded "to capacity" inside.

Neighbor Hattie Palafox described Arteaga as a 'very sweet, very kind, very loving' mother of 17- and 20-year-old daughters. 

Palafox said she had discussed the weather forecast with Arteaga earlier this week, but she hadn't seemed concerned about the expected heavy rains.

'She was very, very soft-spoken. I couldn't say enough about her,' Palafox said after placing a bouquet of flowers at Arteaga's home, not far from where she died.

Palafox said she made it a point to keep up with Arteaga and her two daughters after her husband died of a heart attack two years ago.

Tree fell on interstate: One person died and another was injured in a crash near Fayetteville, North Carolina, when a tree fell across an interstate and hit two cars

Tree fell on interstate: One person died and another was injured in a crash near Fayetteville, North Carolina, when a tree fell across an interstate and hit two cars

Tree falls on car: Interstate 95 South was closed for more than two hours Thursday afternoon near exit 65 in Godwin due to a vehicle accident. 1

According to highway patrol officers, two passenger vehicles were traveling south on I-95 at about 1:30 p.m. when a tree fell across the highway, striking both cars

Tree falls on car: Interstate 95 South was closed for more than two hours Thursday afternoon near exit 65 in Godwin due to a vehicle accident. 1 According to highway patrol officers, two passenger vehicles were traveling south on I-95 at about 1:30 p.m. when a tree fell across the highway, striking both cars

The house is located on a narrow, quiet street not far from a highway and bordered on one side by a mobile home park. Relatives of Arteaga declined to comment.

Elsewhere in Spartanburg County, authorities said a man was rescued Thursday morning after his vehicle was swept off the road where a culvert had washed out. The man managed to cling to a tree and was taken to a hospital for treatment, reports ABC.

Authorities around the region have warned of saturated soil giving way to falling trees, which appears to have played a role in the death near Fayetteville, reports WRAL.

In the historic city of Charleston, National Weather Service urged motorists to avoid driving in downtown Charleston unless absolutely necessary. 

Forecasters said a storm that moved through early Thursday afternoon dumped at least 2 inches of rain on the city and the Weather Service posted a flash-flood warning for areas of the city through early evening.

The Weather Service said that streets were expected to flood and with high tides, the water would be slow in receding from roadways.

Crash photo: The impact from the tree resulted in the death of a passenger in one of the vehicles. The driver of that vehicle was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center with unknown injures. Pictured here is the window of a car that was smashed by the tree 

Crash photo: The impact from the tree resulted in the death of a passenger in one of the vehicles. The driver of that vehicle was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center with unknown injures. Pictured here is the window of a car that was smashed by the tree 

Damaged car: The front of this car is filled with grass after a crash on interstate 95 that killed one person who has not yet been identified 

Damaged car: The front of this car is filled with grass after a crash on interstate 95 that killed one person who has not yet been identified 

Heavy traffic: Interstate 95 South was closed for more than two hours Thursday afternoon near exit 65 in Godwin due to a vehicle accident after a tree fell

Heavy traffic: Interstate 95 South was closed for more than two hours Thursday afternoon near exit 65 in Godwin due to a vehicle accident after a tree fell

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley declared a state of emergency Thursday night, allowing government agencies to immediately start making preparations.

North Carolina Highway Patrol Lt. Jeff Gordon said the fatal crash happened on Interstate 95 about 1:30 p.m. when a tree fell across the road, hitting two vehicles.

Gordon says the passenger in one of the vehicles died, and the driver was taken to the hospital. There was no immediate word on the survivor's condition, and the driver of the second vehicle was not hurt.

Gordon said the area has had a lot of rain in the past several days. The National Weather Service reported light rain and winds of about 10 mph around the time of the wreck.

Governors up and down the coast warned residents to prepare for more heavy rains. In addition to South Carolina, states of emergency were declared in Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Virginia.

The National Weather Service issued flash-flood watches for Washington, D.C., northern Virginia, southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore from Friday morning through late Saturday. 

Water across the East Coast: Flood waters from high tide block Oxford Place just off the Black Horse Pike (Route 40) on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015, in West Atlantic City, NJ. The Black Horse Pike was shut down for a couple of hours as northeast winds and high tides caused moderate flooding along the roadway

Water across the East Coast: Flood waters from high tide block Oxford Place just off the Black Horse Pike (Route 40) on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015, in West Atlantic City, NJ. The Black Horse Pike was shut down for a couple of hours as northeast winds and high tides caused moderate flooding along the roadway

Getting ready: A boar is removed from the water in Newport News, Virginia on Thursday in preparation for Hurricane Joaquin

Getting ready: A boar is removed from the water in Newport News, Virginia on Thursday in preparation for Hurricane Joaquin

At a press conference just before noon on Thursday, Gov Christie said that it was too soon to know whether Joaquin would be hitting New Jersey, but that he wanted to get the state prepared for the worst. Christie, who is also campaigning for president, pictured above on Tuesday in Des Moines, Iowa.

At a press conference just before noon on Thursday, Gov Christie said that it was too soon to know whether Joaquin would be hitting New Jersey, but that he wanted to get the state prepared for the worst. Christie, who is also campaigning for president, pictured above on Tuesday in Des Moines, Iowa.

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