Hurricane Florence fast facts:
- The leading edge of Hurricane Florence has arrived in North Carolina, with tropical storm-force winds carrying drenching bands of rainfall onto some beach communities
- Florence is a “large hurricane,” with hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 80 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles, National Hurricane Center (NHC) says
- Forecasters don’t expect the storm to strengthen before it moves ashore, but they say the real problem will be water as it lingers along the coast through Saturday
- “It truly is really about the whole size of this storm,” National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham says. “The larger and the slower the storm is, the greater the threat and the impact — and we have that.”
- As of 8 a.m. ET, Florence was centered about 170 miles east-southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, and about 220 miles east of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, moving northwest at about 12 mph with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph
- More than 10 million residents in North and South Carolina and Virginia are under storm watches or warnings; About 5.25 million people live in areas under hurricane warnings or watches, and 4.9 million more live in places covered by tropical storm warnings or watches, National Weather Service says
Hurricane Florence as it approaches the southeastern United States on September 14, 2018.
NOAA
WILMINGTON, N.C. — The leading edge of Hurricane Florence has arrived in North Carolina, with tropical storm-force winds carrying drenching bands of rainfall onto some beach communities, meteorologists said Thursday morning. Florence will likely bring days of rain totaling three feet or more, and a storm surge of ocean water that rises to more than 12 feet near the center of the storm.
Florence’s top sustained wind speeds dropped from a high of 140 mph to 110 mph early Thursday, reducing Florence from a Category 4 to a Category 2 hurricane. But forecasters warned that the widening storm — and its likelihood of lingering around the coast day after day after day — will bring surging ocean water and torrential rain.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said he knows many people are watching the changing storm predictions and categories, and he’s concerned because some are even saying that “North Carolina is getting a break.”
It’s not.
“Please hear my message,” he said. “We cannot underestimate this storm.”
“Don’t relax; don’t get complacent. Stay on guard. This is a powerful storm that can kill,” he said.
The National Hurricane Center’s best estimate was that Florence’s eye would blow ashore as early as early Friday around the North Carolina-South Carolina line. Then, it will likely hover along the coast Saturday, pushing up to 13 feet of storm surge and dumping water on both states. The forecast calls for as much as 40 inches of rain over seven days along the coast, with the deluge continuing even as the center of the storm slogs away over the Appalachian Mountains.
The result: catastrophic inland flooding that could swamp homes, businesses, farm fields and industrial sites.
Hurricane Florence was downgraded to a Category 2 storm late on September 12, 2018; Here’s an updated look at Florence’s projected path as of 5:00 a.m. EDT on September 13
NOAA
The forecast track throws Georgia into potential peril, as well, as Florence moves inland. On Wednesday afternoon, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency.
President Trump took to Twitter again Thursday morning to warn about Florence, urging people to be careful and saying “we are completely ready” for the storm. On Wednesday, he said, “Don’t play games with it. It’s a big one.”
Latest Hurricane Florence advisory from the National Hurricane Center
At 8 a.m. ET, Florence was centered about 170 miles east-southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, and about 220 miles east-southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, moving northwest at 12 mph.
Hurricane-force winds were blowing 80 miles from its center, and tropical-storm-force winds reached up to 195 miles from the eye.
The NHC said life-threatening storm surge and rainfall are expected. Forecasters warned that Florence is deadly because of its size and slow forward speed. Water causes the most deaths during tropical storms and hurricanes, and Florence is expected to cause dangerous flooding.
Tornadoes also remain a threat, particularly in areas northeast of the hurricane’s eye.
The NHC said “little change” in strength is expected before the center of the storm reaches the U.S. coast, “with weakening expected after the center moves inland.”
Hurricane Florence watches, warnings and evacuations
About 5.25 million people live in areas under hurricane warnings or watches, and 4.9 million more live in places covered by tropical storm warnings or watches, the National Weather Service said.
The NHC said in its 8 a.m. advisory Thursday that the following watches and warnings are in effect:
“A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for…
* South Santee River South Carolina to Duck North Carolina
* Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, including the Neuse and Pamlico
RiversA Storm Surge Watch is in effect for…
* Edisto Beach South Carolina to South Santee River South Carolina
* North of Duck North Carolina to the North Carolina/Virginia borderA Hurricane Warning is in effect for…
* South Santee River South Carolina to Duck North Carolina
* Albemarle and Pamlico SoundsA Hurricane Watch is in effect for…
* Edisto Beach South Carolina to South Santee River South CarolinaA Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
* North of Duck North Carolina to Cape Charles Light Virginia
* Chesapeake Bay south of New Point Comfort”
It is unclear exactly how many people fled, but more than 1.7 million people in the Carolinas and Virginia were warned to clear out. Airlines canceled nearly 1,000 flights and counting. Home Depot and Lowe’s activated emergency response centers to get generators, trash bags and bottled water to stores before and after the storm. The two hardware chains said they sent in a total of around 1,100 trucks.
Duke Energy, the nation’s No. 2 power company, said Florence could knock out electricity to three-quarters of its 4 million customers in the Carolinas, and outages could last for weeks. Workers are being brought in from the Midwest and Florida to help in the storm’s aftermath, it said.
Boarding up his home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Chris Pennington watched the forecasts and tried to decide when to leave.
“In 12 or 18 hours, they may be saying different things all over again,” he said.
Hurricane Florence could inflict the hardest hurricane punch North Carolina has seen in more than 60 years. In 1954, the state was hit by a Category 4 storm, Hurricane Hazel.
“Hazel stands as a benchmark storm in North Carolina’s history,” said Jay Barnes, author of books on the hurricane histories of both North Carolina and Florida. “We had a tremendous amount of destruction all across the state.”
Hurricane Florence affecting flights and car travel
Flight-tracking service FlightAware said Wednesday it was starting to see airlines file cancellations for airports in Florence’s path. As of early Thursday, total cancellations within, into, or out of the U.S. was 584 for the day, while 475 flights were cancelled for Friday, it said.
CBS News correspondent David Begnaud reported this week that people living in the barrier island community of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, were bracing for a possible direct impact. Long lines formed at service stations, and some started running out of gas as far west as Raleigh, with bright yellow bags, signs or rags placed over the pumps to show they were out of order. Some store shelves were picked clean.
“There’s no water. There’s no juices. There’s no canned goods,” Kristin Harrington said as she shopped at a Wal-Mart in Wilmington.
South Carolina said Wednesday night that it is planning to end the reversal of some interstate lanes that were switched to help move people away from the state’s coast. Department of Public Safety Director Leroy Smith told reporters that, starting Thursday at 6 p.m., officers will close Interstate 26 lanes that had been switched from eastbound to westbound to move people away from the Charleston area toward the center of the state.
Many officers are on the road during lane reversals, manning each exit and ensuring drivers don’t drive around barricades. The change allows agencies like Smith’s to pull back their officers when tropical storm-force winds are expected to arrive in the state.
West Virginia prepares for Hurricane Florence
West Virginia agencies are mobilizing to respond to problems arising from the storm. The governor’s office said in a new release the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management activated its emergency operations center Wednesday. The statement said 50 National Guard members are prepared to assist in locations across the state.
Nearly 70 tractor-trailer loads of supplies have arrived at the Guard’s 167th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg. In June 2016, a series of thunderstorms pelted a wide swath of West Virginia. Nine inches of rain fell in 36 hours in some areas, leaving 23 dead statewide and destroying thousands of homes, businesses and infrastructure.
The NWS forecast said up to 4 inches of rain is possible in parts of the state through next week.
Four storms churning in the Atlantic
Florence is the most dangerous of four tropical systems in the Atlantic. Tropical Storm Isaac was expected to pass south of Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, while Hurricane Helene was moving northward away from land.
NHC announced Wednesday night that they are now monitoring a fourth storm in the Atlantic, which they have named Subtropical Storm Joyce. It is located 910 miles west-southwest from the Azores and is moving at about 6 mph with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
Federal officials begged residents to put together emergency kits and have a plan on where to go.
“This storm is going to knock out power days into weeks. It’s going to destroy infrastructure. It’s going to destroy homes,” said Byard, the FEMA official.
