Among those killed was a 3-month-old child, who suffered fatal injuries after a tree fell onto its family home, according to North Carolina Gaston County Commissioner Tracy Philbeck.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper commented on the fatalities, saying: “Our hearts go out to the families of those who died in this storm”.
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President Donald Trump added: “Deepest sympathies and warmth go out to the families and friends of the victims. May God be with them.”
A 68-year-old man was killed in Lenoir County on Friday after being electrocuted while attempting to connect extension cords in the rain.
A married couple also died in a house fire connected with the hurricane in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
The county sheriff’s office stated the deaths were related to flash flooding and water on the roads.
Mandatory evacuations remain in place for thousands of residents across North and South Carolina.
North Carolina’s energy company, Duke Energy, also estimated that around 900,000 homes and businesses have been left without power in the aftermath of the storm.
While the storm has been downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical depression, the risk of flooding remains severe.
Thousands of residents were told to leave their properties in Fayetteville by Sunday afternoon due to the chances of flash flooding.
Fayetteville mayor Mitch Colvin said: “The worst is yet to come”.
“If you are refusing to leave during this mandatory evacuation, you need to do things like notifying your legal next of kin because the loss of life is very, very possible.”
Over 450 people had to be rescued from their properties in New Bern, North Carolina after mass flooding occurred in the aftermath of the Neuse River bursting its banks.
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