Fifteen dead as South Carolina gripped by historic flooding

David Carroll (R) of Waccamaw Lake Drive pulls boat carrying neighbors Rick Woodward, Miki Woodward and Matt Desjardins in Conway, South Carolina October 6, 2015. The Woodward family came to the landing from their flooded neighborhood to meet daughter Kelly who had been separated from them for a few days because of the floods. [Photo/Agencies]

South Carolina grappled with the damage wrought by record rainfall, as the death toll from widespread flooding rose to 15 on Tuesday and residents braced for more evacuations in areas near dams and swollen waterways across the state.

Predictions of sunny skies in coming days provided only small comfort. More than 800 people were living in shelters after floodwater forced them from their homes, and officials said new evacuations were likely as several rivers remained above flood stage and dams were being monitored for breaches.

"We are still in the mode that the next 36 to 48 hours will be volatile," Governor Nikki Haley told a news conference. "Don't let the sunshine fool you."

Officials said about 300 state-maintained roads and 160 bridges remained closed. Eleven dams in the southeastern state have failed, the state Emergency Management Division said.

Haley said she could not yet estimate the cost of the devastation but noted "the damage is going to be heartbreaking for a lot of people."