North Carolina has experienced some of the most destructive storms in U.S. history, with flooding often causing more damage than the wind itself, according to meteorologist Brian Slocum.

Depending on how it’s treated, this North Carolina soil can be a blessing or a curse. In its natural state, the soggy, spongy soil known as peat stores exceptional amounts of planet-warming carbon.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said that Sandra Portnoy Hirschman, 83, of Pittsboro, N.C., died after she drove her vehicle into floodwater on Sunday night in Chatham County.