FDNY and NYPD rescue teams help people stranded in North Carolina floodwaters

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina (WABC) -- In Fayetteville, North Carolina, floodwaters from Hurricane Matthew drenched the roads. FDNY and NYPD swift water rescue teams helping stranded motorists and people trapped in their homes.

Two people found themselves trapped in the middle of the flood on Saturday evening.

"They were trying to pass over a bridge where the water was running under it, and thought that they could make it, and the water was too high, and just picked up their car and floated it off to the side, and I just happened to be in the park area," said FDNY Battalion Chief Joe Downey.

Darla Miles has the story.

Two things were working in that family's favor. The tires of their truck were stuck in brickwork that that kept the truck from floating downstream.

"If it wasn't there, they would've been swept downstream, and they would've been in the truck," adds Chief Downey.

Secondly, the 45-member team of New York Task Force One from the FDNY, NYPD and ESU - they were deployed south late Thursday night, specifically to perform water rescues.

This isn't the only family that the team has helped - they saved 64 people between 5 p.m. and 1 a.m.

"It's not something we normally deal with in New York. So although we train for it, we don't really get the practical applications in New York," says Mike Kenny of NYPD ESU.

Battalion Chief Downey and Sergeant Kenny are the commanders. The three guys on the boat were Vinny Pickford, Dennis O'sullivan of the NYPD and Mike Woods of the FDNY. They are all still in North Carolina, and will be there until authorities feel the water has receded, and everyone is safe.

The unofficial rainfall totals were staggering: 18 inches in Wilmington, 14 inches in Fayetteville and 8 inches in Raleigh.

"This is a very, very serious and deadly storm," Gov. Pat McCrory said.

As of 8 a.m. EDT, the storm was centered about 60 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, moving out to sea. It still had hurricane-force winds of 75 mph.

Forecasters said North Carolina and Virginia could get even more rain and warned of the danger of life-threatening flooding through Monday night.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)