6 lives lost to Chantal in central NC. Here’s what we know about them.
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tropical Storm Chantal caused at least 5 deaths and extensive flooding in central NC.
- Victims included residents swept away in vehicles and 2 boaters at Jordan Lake.
- Gov. Josh Stein pledged storm aid and praised emergency responders' efforts.
At least six people were killed as the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal descended on central North Carolina, officials said Wednesday.
Chantal brought heavy localized flooding to the region, destroying homes and businesses throughout Orange, Person, Alamance, Chatham and Durham counties Sunday evening.
Officials had confirmed the following deaths as of Wednesday morning:
- Sandra Portnoy Hirschman, 83, of Pittsboro. Hirschman died Sunday when her car was swept away by floodwaters in Chatham County.
- Monica Butner, 58, of Hurdle Mills. Butner was found Monday after her car was submerged in Orange County while she was on her way to work in Hillsborough.
Daniel Garcia Garcia, 25, and Manuel Mauro Sifuentes Soto, 36, both of Durham. Their empty canoe was recovered on Jordan Lake after they were last seen about 5 p.m. Sunday. Their bodies were found Tuesday and Wednesday.
- An unnamed man in Mebane in Alamance County, WXII12 reports. Citing the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office, the TV station said a 911 caller said he and a friend were driving in separate vehicles but became separated. The man was found in his vehicle off the roadway covered in running water. His name hasn’t been released.
- Hajar Hassib, 23, of Graham. She was reported missing Monday and was found Tuesday in a submerged vehicle in a pond, the Graham Police Department reported.
Remembering Chantal victims
Butner called 911 about 10:30 p.m. Sunday to report her SUV was in floodwater on Wilkerson Road, according to a news release. The call disconnected shortly after, and firefighters found the vehicle “near Whitetail Run where a two-lane bridge crosses the South Fork Little River,” the release said.
Her body was discovered about 5 p.m. Monday, “almost completely obscured by fallen trees and debris approximately 120 yards downstream” from her SUV, according to the release.
“The devastating power of stormwater caused Ms. Butner’s tragic death, despite the heroic efforts of searchers and the work of top-notch professionals at Emergency Management who coordinated the incoming resources,” Sheriff Charles Blackwood said in a written statement. “I am grateful to everyone who assisted with this search, and I offer my condolences to all affected by this tragedy.”
A Gofundme established to support Butner’s son had raised $8,222 of its $18,000 goal as of Wednesday afternoon.
“She was the most giving person in the world,” Butner’s son said in the Gofundme post. “She would give the shirt off her back for someone, and that’s why she was on the way to work [Sunday] night — to go make sure her little old people at the nursing home were being taken care of.”
Butner’s son is an employee of Trader Joe’s in Chapel Hill, which was seriously damaged in the flooding.
In a statement shared with The News & Observer on Tuesday, Aaron Butner, Monica Butner’s nephew, wrote, “My aunt Monica was our fun aunt, always cutting up & having a good time. I don’t think Hillsborough would have been Hillsborough without her — our family helped manage the ice rink at Daniel Boone as well as the restaurant so it wasn’t uncommon to find Monica hanging around those spots.”
Butner’s family was grateful to the first responders who searched for her, he said.
Hayley Smith, 20, is the daughter of Monica Butner’s best friend, who was so close to Smith’s mother she was known as “Aunt Monica.” Smith told The N&O that Butner worked the third shift in the dementia ward of a nursing home
“She’d give the shirt off her back,” Smith said, choking up. “If my mom needed money for gas, she would help her, even if she didn’t have anything.”
Even if Butner was aware of the flooding, she was so devoted to her patients at the nursing home that it wouldn’t have deterred her, Smith said.
‘Heartbreaking’ deaths
Hirschman was a New York native who received a degree in English from Hunter College and taught in public schools for a time, according to her 1966 marriage announcement. She and her husband moved to Gastonia, where they raised at least one son, newspaper reports show.
Her son, Dan Hirschman, is general counsel at the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and was colleagues with Gov. Josh Stein at the Department of Justice for eight years.
Stein talked about the reported deaths on Tuesday morning — at that point three — calling the news “just truly heartbreaking.”
“I want to reiterate, as everyone has, our deep sorrow for the people who lost their lives over the weekend,” Stein said during a Council of State meeting in Raleigh.
He identified Sandra Hirschman as the mother of his former colleague.
First responders recognized
The storm in North Carolina comes days after devastating floods in Texas.
“And the deaths in Texas, particularly that camp, breaks our heart, and it just underscores that we have to be there for each other. North Carolina, of course, offered to the state of Texas any assistance that was required. They don’t need any at this point,” Stein said.
He also thanked Chantal storm responders from the State Highway Patrol and Department of Transportation, where the Council of State meeting was held.
“Over 100 roads had some form of damage ... so they’re working furiously to try to get roads reopened. The sheriff’s folks working through the night to try to keep people safe and alive. Just really hard,” he said.
Stein was headed to Alamance County after the meeting Tuesday morning to assess the storm damage.
“Part of why I want to go out there is to understand the extent of the infrastructural damage to water, wastewater, the roads. See how extensive that damage is,” Stein told reporters.
“I talked with a couple of the sheriffs over the weekend, and they were saying there were widespread culverts washed out; some communities essentially disconnected from the roadways. So part of what we have to do at this point is just assess what is the scale of the damage, and what can we do to help people recover,” he said.
Stein said there would be enough money for any needed repairs from Chantal.
This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 12:54 PM.
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