Even if you know nothing about hurricanes, an unavoidable sense of doom and destruction overtakes you when you look at this image of Hurricane Florence as it moves inexorably toward North and South Carolina.

Even if you didn’t know that the powerful storm is forecast to gain strength as it hits the coast on Friday, or that it will dump several months of rain onto the region in a mere few days, or that the storm surge could reach as high as 9 to 13 ft. If you didn’t know all those things, the picture of Florence taken from space would still fill you with foreboding.

The image was taken from the ISS by astronaut Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency. “Ever stared down the gaping eye of a category 4 hurricane? It’s chilling, even from space,” said Gerst.

Gerst tweeted some more images and warnings to the people in the path of the storm.

Forecasters are calling Hurricane Florence a “generational storm.” It is an enormous storm, and it’s moving slowly. It is expected to stall and hover over the Carolinas, dumping enormous amounts of rainfall on the region, and causing massive destruction and flooding.

Even though the storm may weaken to a Category 1 or Category 2 storm, widespread damage is expected. The category ranking of storms only describes the speed of the storm’s sustained winds. For a Category 2 storm, that means sustained winds of 154–177 km/h (96–110 mph). But Florence will still bring gusts that are much more powerful. The damage from the storm is also cumulative over time, as it slowly moves inland, damaging homes and buildings, blowing trees over, and knocking down power lines.

The Carolinas will bear the brunt of the storm, but as it moves inland, Virginia, Georgia, and Maryland will also be hit. As if the storm itself is not dangerous enough, it is expected to spawn tornadoes in southeast North Carolina on Thursday and Friday.

NASA released this video of Florence taken with cameras aboard the ISS.

Good luck to everyone in the path of the storm. Stay safe.</s>Hurricane Florence is approaching the Carolinas and is expected to strike as early as Friday, dropping to a Category 2 on Wednesday night. But who came up with the categories and what do they mean?

Common knowledge is that the categories are defined by their wind speeds, but they are also defined by their potential for property damage.

Categories are measured by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, originally developed by wind engineer Herb Saffir and meteorologist Bob Simpson, according to the National Hurricane Center.

While tropical storms and categories 1 and 2 are not to be taken lightly, it's when we reach Category 3 that a storm reaches "major hurricane" status and has greater increase for loss of life and property damage.

Here is a breakdown of the storm categories, as explained by the National Hurricane Center.

Very dangerous winds will produce some damage : Well-constructed frame homes could have damage to roof, shingles, vinyl siding and gutters. Large branches of trees will snap and shallowly rooted trees may be toppled. Extensive damage to power lines and poles likely will result in power outages that could last a few to several days.

: Well-constructed frame homes could sustain major roof and siding damage. Many shallowly rooted trees will be snapped or uprooted and block numerous roads. Near-total power loss is expected with outages that could last from several days to weeks.

: Well-built framed homes may incur major damage or removal of roof decking and gable ends. Many trees will be snapped or uprooted, blocking numerous roads. Electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes.

Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

To get into more specifics about what these categories mean for different types of buildings, homes, apartments, and power and water systems, click on this link.

The other issue with a hurricane is the storm surge, which can cause coastal communities to flood. There is no storm surge scale. The National Hurricane Center said it does not believe creating such a scale would be helpful.

"For example, if 2008’s Hurricane Ike had made landfall in Palm Beach, Florida, the resulting storm surge would have been only 8’, rather than the 20’ that occurred where Ike actually made landfall on the upper Texas coast," the NHC said. "These greatly differing surge impacts arise from differences in the local bathymetry (the shallow Gulf waters off of Texas enhance storm surge while the deep ocean depths off of southeastern Florida inhibit surge). The proposed storm surge scales that consider storm size do not consider these local factors that play a crucial role in determining actual surge impacts."</s>RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Hurricane Florence has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm but it is still considered an extremely dangerous and life-threatening storm.

As of 11 p.m., the storm was centered 280 miles (455 kilometers) east southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, and was moving northwest at 17 mph (28 kph).

Its maximum sustained winds have dropped slightly to 110 mph (175 kph).

But the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday evening that the storm is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge and rainfall to the Carolinas as it approaches the coast Thursday and Friday.</s>WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - The outer bands of wind and rain from a weakened but still lethal Hurricane Florence began lashing North Carolina on Thursday as the monster storm moved in for a prolonged and potentially catastrophic stay along the Southeast coast that could drench the homes of as many as 10 million people.

Florence’s winds had dropped from a peak of 140 mph to 105 mph by midmorning, reducing the hurricane from a terrifying Category 4 to a 2. But forecasters warned that the widening storm — and its likelihood of lingering around the coast day after day — will bring seawater surging onto land and torrential downpours.

“It truly is really about the whole size of this storm,” National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said. “The larger and the slower the storm is, the greater the threat and the impact — and we have that.”

As of 11 a.m. EDT, Florence was centered about 145 miles southeast of Wilmington, its forward movement slowed to 10 mph. Hurricane-force winds extended 80 miles from its center, and tropical-storm-force winds up to 195 miles.

Forecasters said Florence’s eye could come ashore early Friday around the North Carolina-South Carolina line. Then it is likely to hover along the coast Saturday, pushing up to 13 feet (nearly 4 meters) of storm surge and unloading water on both states.

By midday, Spanish moss blew sideways in the trees as the winds increased in Wilmington. On North Carolina’s Outer Banks, water flowed through the streets of Hatteras Village, and some of the few people still left in Nags Head took photos of angry waves topped with white froth.

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 pushes its way over the Appalachian Mountains.

The result could be what the Houston area saw during Hurricane Harvey just over a year ago: catastrophic inland flooding that could swamp homes, businesses, farm fields and industrial sites.

The police chief of a barrier island in Florence’s bulls’-eye said he was asking for next-of-kin contact information from the few residents who refused to leave.

“I’m not going to put our personnel in harm’s way, especially for people that we’ve already told to evacuate,” Wrightsville Beach Police Chief Dan House said.

“Don’t relax, don’t get complacent. Stay on guard. This is a powerful storm that can kill. Today the threat becomes a reality,” he said.

About 5.25 million people live in areas under hurricane warnings or watches, and 4.9 million in places covered by tropical storm warnings or watches, the National Weather Service said.

Weather Underground meteorology director Jeff Masters said Florence eventually could strike as a Category 1 with winds less than 100 mph, but that’s still enough to cause at least $1 billion in damage. Water kills more people in hurricanes than wind does.

Scientists said it is too soon to say what role, if any, global warming played in the storm. But previous research has shown that the strongest hurricanes are getting wetter, more intense and intensifying faster because of human-caused climate change.

It’s unclear exactly how many people fled ahead of the storm, 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.

Florence’s weakening as it neared the coast created tension between some who left home and authorities who worried that the storm could still be deadly.

Frustrated after evacuating his beach home for a storm that has since been downgraded, retired nurse Frederick Fisher grumbled in the lobby of a hotel in Wilmington several miles inland.

“Against my better judgment, due to emotionalism, I evacuated,” he said. “I’ve got four cats inside the house. If I can’t get back in a week, after awhile they might turn on each other or trash the place.”</s>An NOAA reporting station just reported a sustained wind of 55mph and a gust to 70mph at Cape Lookout, North California. Conditions have already begun to deteriorate in North Carolina's Outer Banks island and the state’s southeastern coast. Hurricane conditions are expected to reach the coast within the hurricane warning area this evening or early Friday as tropical storm conditions move onshore within the warning areas. Wind and surf are also increasing as the hurricane moves closer to the coast and the coastal areas of the Carolinas can expect 20 to 30 inches of rain.

Hurricane Florence has been downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane wind maximum sustained winds of 105mph but still remains a massive threat to lives and property. NOAA’s latest advisory also reports of a tornado threat as the weather system is approaching land: “A few tornadoes are possible in eastern North Carolina through Friday,” the report told. The centre of the extremely dangerous storm is currently located about 130 miles east-southeast of Wilmington, North California and 185 miles east of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. NOAA’s most recent report said: “On the forecast track, the centre of Florence will approach the coasts of North and South Carolina later today.”

The hurricane is then expected to move near or over the coast of southern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina in the hurricane warning area tonight and Friday. Florence is continuing to slow down and has gone from moving at 14mph in NOAA’s previous update to 10mph on the most updated advisory. According to forecasters, Hurricane Florence will batter the Carolina coastline with hurricane-force winds for more than 24 hours straight. The report stated: “A slow motion across portions of eastern South Carolina is forecast Friday night through Saturday night.”

Life-threatening storm surge and rainfall are expected when the large hurricane reaches the Carolinas in just hours. Nearly two million people have been ordered to evacuate the coastline of the Carolinas and Virginia and more than 10million Americans live in places under storm warnings. In NOAA’s advisory a summary of watches and warnings in effect are as listed below: A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for: * Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, including the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for: * North of Duck North Carolina to the North Carolina/Virginia border</s>WILMINGTON, N.C. — Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina Friday morning with a life-threatening storm surge that pushed water inland for miles, pelting rains and screaming winds that destroyed buildings in its path.

The center of the eye of Florence made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, NC around 7:15 a.m. EDT. At 7 a.m. EDT, the slow-moving storm was progressing forward at 6 mph. Hurricane-force winds extended 90 miles from its center, and tropical-storm-force winds up to 195 miles.

More than 60 people had to be pulled from a collapsing motel at the height of the storm, and many more who defied evacuation orders were hoping to be rescued. Pieces of buildings ripped apart by the storm flew through the air.

The powerful storm inundated coastal streets with ocean water and left tens of thousands without power. Forecasters said "catastrophic" freshwater flooding was expected along waterways far from the coast of the Carolinas.

Winds bent trees toward the ground and raindrops flew sideways as Florence moved in for an extended stay, with enough of its killer winds swirling overseas to maintain its power. Forecasters said the onslaught could last for days, leaving a wide area under water from both heavy downpours and rising seas.

The wind howled and sheets of rain splattered against windows of a hotel before dawn in Wilmington, where Sandie Orsa of Wilmington sat in a lobby lit by emergency lights after the power failed.

"(It's) very eerie, the wind howling, the rain blowing sideways, debris flying," said Orsa, who lives nearby and fears splintering trees will pummel her house.

The storm's intensity held at about 90 mph (144 kph), and it appeared that the north side of the eye was the most dangerous place to be as Florence moved ashore.

The cone of probability for Hurricane Florence at 5 a.m. EDT, Sept. 14, 2018. At this time, the outer eyewall of Florence was making landfall in the the area of Wilmington, N.C. as a Category 1 hurricane. (Credit: NOAA)

A weather station at a community college recorded a 100 mph wind gust, and forecasters tweeted that a 91 mph wind gust slammed into Wilmington's airport, surpassing the power of Hurricane Fran two decades ago.

The National Hurricane Center said a gauge in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, reported 6.3 feet (1.92 meters) of inundation. Emerald Isle is about 84 miles 135 kilometers) north of Wilmington.

And about 46 miles farther up the waterfront, in New Bern, about 150 people were waiting to be rescued from floods on the Neuse River, WXII-TV reported. The city said two FEMA teams were working on swift-water rescues and more were on the way.

"Surviving this storm will be a test of endurance, teamwork, common sense and patience." Gov. Roy Cooper warned, describing day after day of disastrous weather to come.

Cooper also requested additional federal disaster assistance in anticipation of what his office called "historic major damage" across the state.

More than 80,000 people were already without power as the storm began buffeting the coast, and more than 12,000 were in shelters. Another 400 people were in shelters in Virginia, where forecasts were less dire.

Prisoners were affected, too. North Carolina corrections officials said more than 3,000 people were relocated from adult prisons and juvenile centers in the path of Florence, and more than 300 county prisoners were transferred to state facilities.

Officials said some 1.7 million people in the Carolinas and Virginia were warned to evacuate, but it's unclear how many did. The homes of about 10 million were under watches or warnings for the hurricane or tropical storm conditions.

Spanish moss waved in the trees as the winds picked up in Wilmington, and floating docks bounced atop swells at Morehead City. Ocean water flowed between homes and on to streets on the Outer Banks; waves crashed against wooden fishing piers.

Coastal towns in the Carolinas were largely empty, and schools and businesses closed as far south as Georgia.

A buoy off the North Carolina coast recorded waves nearly 30 feet (9 meters) high as Florence churned toward shore.

Forecasters said conditions will continue to deteriorate as the storm pushes ashore early Friday near the North Carolina-South Carolina line and makes its way slowly inland. Its surge could cover all but a sliver of the Carolina coast under as much as 11 feet (3.4 meters) of ocean water, and days of downpours could unload more than 3 feet (0.9 meters) of rain, touching off severe flooding.

Once a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph (225 kph), the hurricane was downgraded to a Category 1 on Thursday night.

Forecasters said that given the storm's size and sluggish track, it could cause epic damage akin to what the Houston area saw during Hurricane Harvey just over a year ago, with floodwaters swamping homes and businesses and washing over industrial waste sites and hog-manure ponds.

The hurricane was seen as a major test for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which was heavily criticized as slow and unprepared for Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico last year.

As Florence drew near, President Donald Trump tweeted that FEMA and first responders are "supplied and ready," and he disputed the official conclusion that nearly 3,000 people died in Puerto Rico, claiming the figure was a Democratic plot to make him look bad.

Not everyone was taking Florence too seriously: About two dozen locals gathered Thursday night behind the boarded-up windows of The Barbary Coast bar as Florence blew into Wilmington.

"We'll operate without power; we have candles. And you don't need power to sling booze," said owner Eli Ellsworth.

Others were at home hoping for the best.

"This is our only home. We have two boats and all our worldly possessions," said Susan Patchkofsky, who refused her family's pleas to evacuate and stayed at Emerald Isle with her husband. "We have a safe basement and generator that comes on automatically. We chose to hunker down."

Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein in Washington; Jeffrey Collins in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Jennifer Kay in Miami; Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; Sarah Rankin and Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia; Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina; Skip Foreman in Charlotte, North Carolina; Jeff Martin in Hampton, Georgia; David Koenig in Dallas; Gerry Broome at Nags Head, North Carolina; and Jay Reeves in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>A team from the US Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, or "Hurricane Hunters", has flown into Hurricane Florence, which is threatening parts of the US east coast.

Florence has been downgraded to a category two storm as it approaches the US but officials still warn of a "disaster at the doorstep".</s>Hurricane Florence is blasting toward the Carolinas, carrying sustained winds of up to 130 mph and the threat of "life-threatening storm surge and rainfall," the National Hurricane Center says.

A hurricane warning – meaning hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours — is in effect for a long stretch of the coast, from the Santee River in South Carolina to Duck, N.C., which is part of the Outer Banks.

Hurricane conditions will likely hit the area around North Carolina's southern coast on Friday, but tropical storm conditions will arrive on Thursday, according to the hurricane center.

"Disaster is at the doorstep and is coming in," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said. "If you are on the coast, there is still time to get out safely."

The time to prepare for the storm is almost over, he said.

Shortly before 11 a.m. ET, Florence was 485 miles southeast of Wilmington, N.C., moving northwest at 15 mph, the National Hurricane Center says.

The threat has sparked a rush of evacuation efforts in South Carolina and North Carolina, with more than a million people urged to get out of Florence's way. Governors of those states have already declared states of emergency, as have the governors of Virginia and Maryland. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal followed suit on Wednesday.

Forecasters have adjusted Hurricane Florence's projected path, saying that after it makes landfall, it is likely to take a more southerly route than expected. Rather than pushing up toward western Virginia, the storm's center is now predicted to move across the middle of South Carolina.

For a swath of the North Carolina shore from Cape Fear to Cape Lookout, the storm surge could range from 9-13 feet, the NHC said. In Myrtle Beach, S.C., and nearby areas, the surge could hit 6-9 feet.

Enormous waves of up to 83 feet were measured inside the storm on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center's Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch said, citing satellite altimeter data.

"These enormous waves are produced by being trapped along with very strong winds moving in the same direction the storm's motion," the agency said.

News that the storm could plow through South Carolina came shortly after Gov. Henry McMaster lifted his mandatory evacuation order for Beaufort County and many other areas south of Charleston. The only exception was Edisto Beach — that and other areas to the north remain under evacuation orders.

Emergency preparations in South Carolina now include more than 2,100 of the state's National Guard soldiers. In North Carolina, Cooper says, "2,800 soldiers will be on active duty, joined by even more on standby."

The Charleston International Airport will close Wednesday night at 11:59 p.m. until further notice, reports George Kearns of South Carolina Public Radio. He adds, "Business in Myrtle Beach are to have operations ceased and secured by 5 this afternoon."

Florence is currently heading for ocean water that has surface temperatures of about 85 degrees, meaning it will likely strengthen on its way to the East Coast.

Even with some weakening that's predicted just before it makes landfall, the storm "is expected to remain a dangerous major hurricane as it approaches the coastline," the hurricane center said.

Satellite images show the storm has maintained a distinct eye and is well organized. Its maximum sustained winds are expected to top 145 mph before losing some steam near the coast. Current forecasts call for Florence to be at least a Category 3 storm when it arrives at the Carolinas.

"Rather than a very narrow and intense band of winds, the winds are slightly weaker – but [they] cover a much larger area," the NHC's senior hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart said on Wednesday. "So Florence is kind of spreading out, becoming a much larger, more stable hurricane."

Florence is predicted to turn more toward the northwest by this afternoon and through Thursday — but then it's expected to head more west-northwest, and stall a bit over the Carolinas. As the hurricane center says, "Florence is expected to slow down considerably by late Thursday into Friday, and move slowly through early Saturday."

The slow movement, combined with the massive amount of moisture this storm holds, will bring dangerous rains — from 20 to 30 inches in coastal North Carolina, with 40 inches possible in isolated areas, the weather service says. In South Carolina and inland parts of North Carolina, 5 to 10 inches of rain could fall, with 20 inches possible in some areas.

"This rainfall would produce catastrophic flash flooding and significant river flooding," the hurricane center says.

On Wednesday morning, Florence was extending hurricane-force winds outward up to 70 miles from its center, with tropical storm-force winds up to 175 miles outward. With that much size and strength, even a glancing blow from Florence could be devastating – something forecasters stressed as they noted the shift in Florence's predicted track.

"Just because we have a landfall to your south, that doesn't mean you're out of the woods, because the winds are huge around this system," NHC Director Ken Graham said, pointing out the wide risk of flooding.

To back up that point, Graham cited a sobering statistic: "50 percent of the fatalities in these tropical systems is the storm surge — and that's not just along the coast. It goes well inland."

Another 25 percent of deaths are related to rain, he said.

President Trump says the Federal Emergency Management Agency and first responders are poised to help — but he also warned people to get out of the storm's path.

"Bad things can happen when you're talking about a storm this size," Trump said Wednesday morning. "It's called Mother Nature. You never know. But we know."</s>An NOAA reporting station just reported a sustained wind of 55mph and a gust to 70mph at Cape Lookout, North California. Conditions have already begun to deteriorate in North Carolina's Outer Banks island and the state’s southeastern coast. Hurricane conditions are expected to reach the coast within the hurricane warning area this evening or early Friday as tropical storm conditions move onshore within the warning areas. Wind and surf are also increasing as the hurricane moves closer to the coast and the coastal areas of the Carolinas can expect 20 to 30 inches of rain.

Hurricane Florence has been downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane wind maximum sustained winds of 105mph but still remains a massive threat to lives and property. NOAA’s latest advisory also reports of a tornado threat as the weather system is approaching land: “A few tornadoes are possible in eastern North Carolina through Friday,” the report told. The centre of the extremely dangerous storm is currently located about 130 miles east-southeast of Wilmington, North California and 185 miles east of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. NOAA’s most recent report said: “On the forecast track, the centre of Florence will approach the coasts of North and South Carolina later today.”

The hurricane is then expected to move near or over the coast of southern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina in the hurricane warning area tonight and Friday. Florence is continuing to slow down and has gone from moving at 14mph in NOAA’s previous update to 10mph on the most updated advisory. According to forecasters, Hurricane Florence will batter the Carolina coastline with hurricane-force winds for more than 24 hours straight. The report stated: “A slow motion across portions of eastern South Carolina is forecast Friday night through Saturday night.”

Life-threatening storm surge and rainfall are expected when the large hurricane reaches the Carolinas in just hours. Nearly two million people have been ordered to evacuate the coastline of the Carolinas and Virginia and more than 10million Americans live in places under storm warnings. In NOAA’s advisory a summary of watches and warnings in effect are as listed below: A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for: * Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, including the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for: * North of Duck North Carolina to the North Carolina/Virginia border</s>Hurricane Florence has hit the US coast leaving streets inundated with ocean water and tens of thousands of homes without power.

The centre of the hurricane made landfall near Wrightsville, North Carolina, bringing with it life-threatening storm surges and 145km/h (90m/h) winds.

The National Hurricane Centre warned there would be “catastrophic” fresh water flooding over a wide area of the Carolinas.

More than 60 people had to be evacuated from a motel at risk of collapse in Jacksonville. Parts of buildings ripped apart by the storm flew through the air.

Authorities in the North Carolina city of New Bern said there are about 150 people waiting to be rescued from rising flood waters.

The US National Hurricane Centre said that a gauge in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, recently reported 1.92m (6.3ft) of inundation. Emerald Isle is about 135km (84 miles) north of Wilmington.

Screaming winds bent trees and led to near-horizontal rain as Florence’s leading edge whipped the Carolina coast to begin an onslaught that could last for days, leaving a wide area underwater from both heavy downpours and rising seas.

The storm’s intensity diminished as it neared land, with winds dropping to around 145km/h (90m/h) .

Governor Roy Cooper has warned of an impending disaster. He said: “The worst of the storm is not yet here but these are early warnings of the days to come.

“Surviving this storm will be a test of endurance, teamwork, common sense and patience.”

Mr Cooper requested additional federal disaster assistance in anticipation of what his office called “historic major damage” across the state.

More than 80,000 people were already without power as the storm began buffeting the coast, and more than 12,000 were in shelters. Another 400 people were in shelters in Virginia, where forecasts are less dire.

Prisoners were affected, too. North Carolina corrections officials said more than 3,000 people were relocated from adult prisons and juvenile centres in the path of Florence, and more than 300 county prisoners were transferred to state facilities.

Officials said some 1.7 million people in the Carolinas and Virginia were warned to evacuate, but it is unclear how many did.

The homes of about 10 million are under watches or warnings for the hurricane or tropical storm conditions.

Forecasters said conditions will deteriorate as the storm pushes ashore near the North Carolina-South Carolina line and makes its way slowly inland.

Its surge could cover all but a sliver of the Carolina coast under as much as 11ft of ocean water, and days of downpours could unload more than 3ft of rain, touching off severe flooding.

Although it was once a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 225km/h (140m/h), the hurricane was downgraded to a Category 1 on Thursday night.

Forecasters said that given the storm’s size and sluggish track, it could cause enormous damage similar to what the Houston area saw during Hurricane Harvey just over a year ago, with floodwaters swamping homes and businesses.
Hurricane Florence weakens to a category 1 storm, but "life-threatening storm surge and rainfall" to the Carolinas remain likely with tropical-storm-force winds on Thursday.