Florence is going to be 'a long, frustrating recovery,' FEMA director says

Federal officials and lawmakers on Sunday said that while they are well prepared for the disaster relief efforts as the damaging winds and rains from tropical depression Florence continue to batter the Eastern Seaboard, the long-term impact of the storm is still yet to be determined.

"This is going to be a long, frustrating recovery," FEMA Administrator Brock Long said during an interview on "Fox News Sunday."

READ MORE: Florence likely to expose gaps in flood insurance.

As the death toll from Florence mounted and hundreds of people were pulled from flooded homes, North Carolina is bracing for what could be the next stage of a still-unfolding disaster: catastrophic, widespread river flooding.

After blowing ashore as a hurricane with 90 mph winds, Florence virtually parked itself much of the weekend atop the Carolinas as it pulled warm water from the ocean and hurled it onshore. Storm surges, flash floods and winds forged a wide path of destruction and the Marines, the Coast Guard, civilian crews and volunteers used helicopters, boats and heavy-duty vehicles on Saturday to conduct rescues.

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