Landslide kills 2 in North Carolina

At least two people have been killed by a landslide in North Carolina.

ByJustin Doom
May 31, 2018, 12:40 PM

The bodies of two people were found among the rubble of a home following a landslide in North Carolina.

The names of the victims are being withheld until family can be notified, according to the Boone Fire Department, which responded to the incident call around 5 p.m. Wednesday.

A landslide resulted in "catastrophic destruction of the structure," a single-family dwelling on Pine Ridge Drive in the Heavenly Mountain Community, the department said. There were no other occupants in the home.

A home was destroyed by a gas leak following a landslide from the effects of Subtropical Storm Alberto, May 30, 2018 in Boone, N.C. Sgt. Shane Robbins said the landslide resulted in the "catastrophic destruction" of the home because of a gas leak.
Boone Police Department via AP
A landslide crashed into a house, May 30, 2018, hitting a gas line and causing an explosion in Watauga County, N.C. The damage is shown in an aerial image from video taken May 31, 2018.
WSOC

The Watauga County Sheriff's Office said it will be conducting the death investigation.

Gov. Roy Cooper earlier on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in the western part of North Carolina after heavy rainfalls triggered mudslides.

This month now marks the wettest month on record for Asheville, North Carolina, beating the old record from August 1940. As of Thursday morning, the total rainfall for the month was 14.42 inches.

Floodwaters cover areas of Asheville, N.C., May 30, 2018.
Asheville Multimedia/Facebook
Floodwaters cover areas of Asheville, N.C., May 30, 2018.
Asheville Multimedia/Facebook
PHOTO: Local residents position a road closed sign at the entrance to the Lake Tahoma Dam, May 30, 2018, in McDowell County, N.C. Continuous rain over the last several days has raised the water level of the dam and forced evacuations of local residents.
Local residents position a road closed sign at the entrance to the Lake Tahoma Dam, May 30, 2018, in McDowell County, five miles north of downtown Marion, N.C. Continuous rain over the last several days has raised the water level of the dam and forced evacuations of local residents.
Kathy Kmonicek/AP

ABC News' Devin Villacis and Max Golembeo contributed to this report.

ABC News Live

ABC News Live

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events