Heavy rain and flash floods in the Piedmont Region of North Carolina caused the drowning death of a 10-year-old girl and 48-year-old man who were swimming in a creek Saturday afternoon.
The creek, located about 100 miles north of Charlotte in Catawba County, was a popular swimming area. The body of the girl, Delilah Lovett, was found by kayakers almost one mile from where she was swimming about an hour after she was swept away.
The body of the man, Juan Alberdi, was found Sunday. Alberdi and Lovett were from two different families that were friends visiting the creek together. According to CNN the level of water in the creek was about two inches above normal due to four inches of rain falling within in five hours.
More than two dozen roads in the surrounding area were closed, and some will remain closed for up to six months to repair damage from the flooding. Interstate 85 in Cabarrus County was also closed briefly Saturday afternoon.
CBS reports that 130 homes and buildings were damaged from the floods, and seven homes and three businesses suffered major damage.
The surrounding towns also got up to a foot of rain, but no other injuries were reported.