(Image source from: The Daily Sentinel)

Hurricane Florence is hitting Carolinas gravely, as some of the rivers are still rising and thousands of people were told on Monday to plan to leave their homes before rivers reach their coast.

In Georgetown County, South Carolina, nearly 8,000 people were alerted to be prepared to evacuate potential flood zones ahead of a "record event" of up to 10 feet (3 meters) of flooding, which is foreseen to set about Tuesday near parts of the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers, county spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said.

The county's emergency management director, Sam Hodge, said in a video message posted online that authorities are closely watching river gauges, and law enforcement would be going door to door in any threatened areas.

"From boots on the ground to technology that we have, we are trying to be able to get the message out," Hodge said, warning people not to wait for an official evacuation order if they begin to feel unsafe.

According to the National Weather Service, in North Carolina, five river gauges still showed major flood stage levels and five others were at moderate flood stage.

The parts of Interstate 40 are expected to remain underwater for another week or more, while the Cape Fear River was expected to crest and remain at flood stage through the early part of the week.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper proclaimed that Interstate 95 reopened to all traffic Sunday night for the first time since the floods.

Floodwaters already receding on one stretch of Interstate 40 left thousands of rotting fish on the pavement for firefighters to clean up.

North Carolina Emergency Management Director Michael Sprayberry said major flooding is continuing in eastern counties along the Black, Lumber, Neuse and Cape Fear rivers.

"Florence continues to bring misery to North Carolina," Cooper said in a statement Sunday evening.

He added that crews conducted about 350 rescues over the weekend and that travel remains treacherous in the southeastern area of his state. But he said National Guard members would be shifting next to more door-to-door and air search wellness checks on people in still-flooded areas.

The storm has claimed at least 43 lives since slamming into the coast September 14.

Lawmakers in Washington are considering about $1.7 million for disaster relief and recovery, even as they face a deadline this week to fund the government ahead of the October 1 start of the new budget year.

-Sowmya Sangam