One person has died in South Carolina as a result of Florence

Officials in South Carolina are reporting the state’s first fatality due to Florence, bringing the storm’s overall death toll to at least five.

A 61-year-old woman was killed late Friday when the vehicle she was driving struck a tree that had fallen across Highway 18 near the town of Union.

Capt. Kelley Hughes of the South Carolina Highway Patrol said the woman, who was wearing a seat belt, died at the scene. No passengers were in the vehicle at the time of the crash.

The tree was about 6 feet above the road surface. Hughes said the vehicle’s roof is what struck the tree.

Seven weather-related deaths have been reported in North Carolina.

This story was originally published September 15, 2018 at 1:25 PM.