Columbia, October 5 (RHC)-- In the U.S. state of South Carolina, at least eight people have been killed amid "once in a millennium" floods. Roads and buildings have buckled, a swath of a major highway has been shut down, and hundreds of people have had to be rescued from the rising waters.

More than a foot of rain fell overnight in the capital Columbia, where all residents have been told to boil their water before drinking it. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said the rain is a "thousand-year level."

Meanwhile, the search continues for the missing cargo ship El Faro, which disappeared during Hurricane Joaquin with 33 people on board. Scientists have warned intensified hurricanes and flooding are being fueled by climate change.