Wilmington, NC: Fears about Hurricane Florence spread south on Wednesday (US time), with Georgia declaring a state of emergency after officials in the Carolinas urged people to evacuate the coast ahead of the storm's expected pounding winds and rain-driven floods.

Florence weakened slightly to a Category 3 storm on a five-step scale but had maximum sustained winds of 201 km/h 2 pm, down from 209 km/h earlier in the day. Its trajectory showed its centre most likely to strike the southern coast of North Carolina by late on Thursday or early Friday (US time), the National Hurricane Centre said.

Updated NHC forecasts showed the storm lingering near the coast of the Carolinas, carrying days of heavy rains that could bring intense inland flooding from South Carolina to Virginia. Parts of North Carolina could get 1 meter of rain.

Jeff Byard of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) invoked a former boxing champion to warn residents that Florence would bring "a Mike Tyson punch to the Carolina coast."

"Heed the warnings," said Byard, adding there was "well over $20 billion" in FEMA's disaster relief fund.</s>RALEIGH, N.C. — Motorists streamed inland on highways converted to one-way evacuation routes Tuesday as about 1.7 million people in three states were warned to get out of the way of Hurricane Florence, a hair-raising storm taking dead aim at the Carolinas with 130 mph winds and potentially ruinous rains.

Florence was expected to blow ashore late Thursday or early Friday, then slow down and wring itself out for days, unloading 1 to 2½ feet of rain that could cause flooding well inland and wreak environmental havoc by washing over industrial waste sites and hog farms.

Forecasters and politicians pleaded with the public to take the warnings seriously and minced no words in describing the threat.

"This storm is a monster. It's big and it's vicious. It is an extremely, dangerous, life-threatening, historic hurricane," said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper.

He added: "The waves and the wind this storm may bring is nothing like you've ever seen. Even if you've ridden out storms before, this one is different. Don't bet your life on riding out a monster."

President Donald Trump declared states of emergency for North and South Carolina, opening the way for federal aid. He said the federal government was "absolutely, totally prepared" for Florence.

North and South Carolina and Virginia ordered mass evacuations along the coast. But getting out of harm's way could prove difficult.

Florence is so wide that a life-threatening storm surge was being pushed 300 miles ahead of its eye, and so wet that a swath from South Carolina to Ohio and Pennsylvania could get deluged.

People across the region rushed to buy bottled water and other supplies, board up their homes or get out of town.

A line of heavy traffic moved away from the coast on Interstate 40, the main route between the port city of Wilmington and inland Raleigh. Between the two cities, about two hours apart, the traffic flowed smoothly in places and became gridlocked in others because of fender-benders.

Only a trickle of vehicles was going in the opposite direction, including pickup trucks carrying plywood and other building materials.

Service stations 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 Walmart in Wilmington.

At 2 p.m., the storm was centered 845 miles (1,360 km) southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, moving at 17 mph (28 kph). It was a potentially catastrophic Category 4 storm but was expected to keep drawing energy from the warm water and intensify to near Category 5, which means winds of 157 mph (253 kph) or higher.

The storm's coastal surge could leave the eastern tip of North Carolina under more than 9 feet of water in spots, projections showed.

"This one really scares me," National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said.

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 Jeff Byard, an official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The National Hurricane Center advisory tracking Hurricane Florence, as of 5 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2018.

Forecasters said parts of North Carolina could get 20 inches of rain, if not more, with as much as 10 inches elsewhere in the state and in Virginia, parts of Maryland and Washington, D.C.

One trusted computer model, the European simulation, predicted more than 45 inches in parts of North Carolina. A year ago, people would have laughed off such a forecast, but the European model was accurate in predicting 60 inches for Hurricane Harvey in the Houston area, so "you start to wonder what these models know that we don't," said University of Miami hurricane expert Brian McNoldy.

Rain measured in feet is "looking likely," he said.

The storm forced people to cut their vacations short along the coast.

Paula Matheson of Springfield, Oregon, got the full Southern experience during her 10-week RV vacation: hot weather, good food, beautiful beaches and, finally, a hurricane evacuation.

Florence interrupted her stay on North Carolina's Outer Banks. It took Matheson and her husband nearly the whole day Monday to drive the 60 miles off the barrier island .

"It was so beautiful. The water was fabulous. Eighty-five degrees," Matheson said, pausing a moment. "I guess that's a big part of the problem."

Florence could slam the Carolinas harder than any hurricane since Hazel , which hit in 1954 with 130 mph (209 kph) winds. The Category 4 storm destroyed 15,000 buildings and killed 19 people in North Carolina.

In the six decades since, many thousands of people have moved to the coast.

Florence's projected path includes half a dozen nuclear power plants, pits holding coal-ash and other industrial waste, and numerous hog farms that store animal waste in huge lagoons.

Duke Energy spokesman Ryan Mosier said operators would begin shutting down nuclear plants at least two hours before hurricane-force winds arrive.

North Carolina's governor issued what he called a first-of-its-kind mandatory evacuation order for North Carolina's fragile barrier islands from one end of the coast to the other. Typically, local governments in North Carolina make the call on evacuations.

"We've seen nor'easters and we've seen hurricanes before," Cooper said, "but this one is different."

Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein in Washington; Jennifer Kay in Miami; Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; Jeffrey Collins in Latta, South Carolina; Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina; Jeff Martin in Atlanta; and Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg, Florida, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Hurricane Florence intensified Monday, becoming a Category 4 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The storm may affect millions this week in the southeastern U.S., including North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Here’s what should you know about the powerful storm’s path.

Where is the hurricane now?

Florence is approximately 410 miles south of Bermuda and 975 miles east-southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, as of 5 a.m. ET, according to the NHC.

The center says the storm is moving west-northwest at 15 miles per hour, and has maximum sustained winds of about 140 miles per hour.

"On the forecast track, the center of Florence will move over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and the Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday, and approach the coast of South Carolina or North Carolina on Thursday," the center said.

The NHC also says the storm could become more powerful.

"Florence is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale," it noted. "Further strengthening is anticipated, and Florence is expected to be an extremely dangerous major hurricane through Thursday."

WHAT IS THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE?

What else should I know?

The governors of North and South Carolina and Virginia have all declared states of emergency ahead of the approaching storm.

HURRICANE FLORENCE STRENGTHENS IN ATLANTIC: TIPS TO PREPARE FOR THE STORM

“Pretend, assume, presume that a major hurricane is going to hit right smack dab in the middle of South Carolina and is going to go way inshore,” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster advised.

The state’s emergency management agency said it is “preparing for the possibility of a large-scale disaster.”

President Trump declared a state of emergency in North Carolina ahead of the storm.

"Please be prepared, be careful and be SAFE!" he tweeted Monday evening.

If you're getting ready for Florence, you can read about steps to prepare for the storm here.

Fox News' Kaitlyn Schallhorn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Hurricane Florence was upgraded to a Category 4 storm by the National Hurricane Center on Monday afternoon, and it is bearing down on the east coast of the United States. Updated models showed the eye of the storm to be East-Southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, and moving toward the South Carolina/North Carolina boarder at 13 miles per hour.

Recent models show the storm making landfall late Thursday night or early Friday morning anywhere from Charleston, South Carolina, to Norfolk, Virginia. When it does, meteorologists are predicting Florence to weaken and sit over the east coast of the United States for a significant period of time, which could create major flooding.

The severity of the storm and the time in which it is expected to make landfall will put the status of several FBS football games in doubt for Week 3 of the season.

It has already forced Coastal Carolina to move its game against Campbell up three days from Saturday to Wednesday. That game will kick at 2 p.m. ET at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek, North Carolina, with free admission for all.

Here’s a list of more games that could be affected:

Mandatory evacuation is already in place for Hatteras Island, North Carolina. A state of emergency has already been declared for South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. Because of the danger that already exists, and potentially more evacuations to come, Duke’s road trip to Baylor could be another game impacted by the approaching storm.</s>During a 2:oopm intermediate advisory Hurricane Florence was shown to have rapidly strengthened to a category four storm with wind-speeds of 130 MPH. All interests in the South and North Carolina region should watch closely and move toward completion of hurricane preparation. The storm is forecast to approach the coast on Thursday.

[National Hurricane Center] A west-northwestward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days. A turn toward the northwest is forecast to occur late Wednesday night. On the forecast track, the center of Florence will move over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and the Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday, and approach the coast of South Carolina or North Carolina on Thursday.

The concerning aspect to this storm is the possibility it may make landfall and hover, wobble and position in place, on the eastern seaboard; very similar to Hurricane Harvey in Houston Texas last year. –SEE HERE (hit play) Under this scenario major flooding and massive ‘prolonged’ (week +) power outages would be anticipated.

For those in the southeast and mid-atlantic; remember, planning and proactive measures taken now can significantly reduce stress in the days ahead. Plan when to make the best decision on any evacuation (if needed) consider Tuesday night the decision time-frame. As a general rule: take cover from wind – but evacuate away from water.

Evaluate your personal hurricane and storm supplies; update and replace anything you might have used. Assess, modify and/or update any possible evacuation plans based on your location, and/or any changes to your family status.

Check your shutters and window coverings; test your generator; re-organize and familiarize yourself with all of your supplies and hardware. Check batteries in portable tools; locate tools you might need; walk your property to consider what you may need to do based on the storms path. All decisions are yours. You are in control.

Due to coastal populations, a southeast storm means adding almost a day to any travel plans based on roads and evacuation traffic density. Being proactive now helps to keep any future stress level low. You are in control. If you have pets, additional plans may be needed.

Look over the National Hurricane Center resources for planning assistance.</s>ABC News(NEW YORK) — Millions are being told to evacuate as the North and South Carolina coasts prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Florence, a Category 4 storm that continues to strengthen into “an extremely dangerous major hurricane through Thursday night.”

The National Hurricane Center is offering that warning on Tuesday morning as hurricane watches and storm surge watches were issued for the coasts of North Carolina and South Carolina for the first time.

Hurricane Florence is packing maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and higher gusts on Tuesday morning. The storm is expected to make landfall along the North Carolina coast, possibly as a Category 4 storm, overnight Thursday into Friday.

In addition to winds, the storm is expected to slow as it moves onto the coast and could deliver 15 to 20 inches of rain, with 30 inches locally, in North Carolina, Virginia and northern South Carolina, the NHC said.

The NHC is already warning for the possibility of “life-threatening inundation” from storm surge from Edisto Beach, South Carolina to the North Carolina-Virginia border in the next 48 hours.

Storm surge could be as high as 6 to 12 feet from Cape Fear to Cape Lookout on North Carolina’s southeast coast. Further south, from Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, to Cape Fear could see 4 to 6 feet of surge and further north, from Cape Lookout to Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina, could see 5 to 8 feet of storm surge.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster ordered a mandatory evacuation of most of the state’s coast beginning at noon on Tuesday. McMaster estimated about 1 million residents would be fleeing the coast before Florence’s arrival.

Coastal areas of North Carolina began evacuating on Monday, with a second wave at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Evacuations were also ordered along the Virginia coast for about 245,000 people, according to Gov. Ralph Northam.

Florence was located about 410 miles south of Bermuda and 975 miles east-southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, on Tuesday at 5 a.m. The storm is moving west-northwest at 15 mph.

Schools are packing up just days in the new year, as well. North Carolina State, University of North Carolina and UNC-Wilmington have all suspended classes, with UNC-Wilmington evacuating its coastline campus by noon Tuesday. In South Carolina, schools including The Citadel, Coastal Carolina University and College of Charleston have all closed until further notice.

While the military has moved 30 Navy ships based in Norfolk, Virginia, including the aircraft carriers USS George H.W. Bush and USS Abraham Lincoln, almost 1,000 National Guard troops have been activated in North and South Carolina to help with any possible hurricane-related problems.

States of emergency have been declared in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland, with President Donald Trump approving emergency declarations in South and North Carolina. The president has spoken to the governors of both Carolinas and Virginia, the White House said Monday.</s>RALEIGH, N.C. — Motorists streamed inland on highways converted to one-way evacuation routes Tuesday as about 1.7 million people in three states were warned to get out of the way of Hurricane Florence, a hair-raising storm taking dead aim at the Carolinas with 130 mph winds and potentially ruinous rains.

Florence was expected to blow ashore late Thursday or early Friday, then slow down and wring itself out for days, unloading 1 to 2½ feet of rain that could cause flooding well inland and wreak environmental havoc by washing over industrial waste sites and hog farms.

Forecasters and politicians pleaded with the public to take the warnings seriously and minced no words in describing the threat.

"This storm is a monster. It's big and it's vicious. It is an extremely, dangerous, life-threatening, historic hurricane," said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper.

He added: "The waves and the wind this storm may bring is nothing like you've ever seen. Even if you've ridden out storms before, this one is different. Don't bet your life on riding out a monster."

President Donald Trump declared states of emergency for North and South Carolina, opening the way for federal aid. He said the federal government was "absolutely, totally prepared" for Florence.

North and South Carolina and Virginia ordered mass evacuations along the coast. But getting out of harm's way could prove difficult.

Florence is so wide that a life-threatening storm surge was being pushed 300 miles ahead of its eye, and so wet that a swath from South Carolina to Ohio and Pennsylvania could get deluged.

People across the region rushed to buy bottled water and other supplies, board up their homes or get out of town.

A line of heavy traffic moved away from the coast on Interstate 40, the main route between the port city of Wilmington and inland Raleigh. Between the two cities, about two hours apart, the traffic flowed smoothly in places and became gridlocked in others because of fender-benders.

Only a trickle of vehicles was going in the opposite direction, including pickup trucks carrying plywood and other building materials.

Service stations 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 Walmart in Wilmington.

At 2 p.m., the storm was centered 845 miles (1,360 km) southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, moving at 17 mph (28 kph). It was a potentially catastrophic Category 4 storm but was expected to keep drawing energy from the warm water and intensify to near Category 5, which means winds of 157 mph (253 kph) or higher.

The storm's coastal surge could leave the eastern tip of North Carolina under more than 9 feet of water in spots, projections showed.

"This one really scares me," National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said.

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 Jeff Byard, an official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The National Hurricane Center advisory tracking Hurricane Florence, as of 5 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2018.

Forecasters said parts of North Carolina could get 20 inches of rain, if not more, with as much as 10 inches elsewhere in the state and in Virginia, parts of Maryland and Washington, D.C.

One trusted computer model, the European simulation, predicted more than 45 inches in parts of North Carolina. A year ago, people would have laughed off such a forecast, but the European model was accurate in predicting 60 inches for Hurricane Harvey in the Houston area, so "you start to wonder what these models know that we don't," said University of Miami hurricane expert Brian McNoldy.

Rain measured in feet is "looking likely," he said.

The storm forced people to cut their vacations short along the coast.

Paula Matheson of Springfield, Oregon, got the full Southern experience during her 10-week RV vacation: hot weather, good food, beautiful beaches and, finally, a hurricane evacuation.

Florence interrupted her stay on North Carolina's Outer Banks. It took Matheson and her husband nearly the whole day Monday to drive the 60 miles off the barrier island .

"It was so beautiful. The water was fabulous. Eighty-five degrees," Matheson said, pausing a moment. "I guess that's a big part of the problem."

Florence could slam the Carolinas harder than any hurricane since Hazel , which hit in 1954 with 130 mph (209 kph) winds. The Category 4 storm destroyed 15,000 buildings and killed 19 people in North Carolina.

In the six decades since, many thousands of people have moved to the coast.

Florence's projected path includes half a dozen nuclear power plants, pits holding coal-ash and other industrial waste, and numerous hog farms that store animal waste in huge lagoons.

Duke Energy spokesman Ryan Mosier said operators would begin shutting down nuclear plants at least two hours before hurricane-force winds arrive.

North Carolina's governor issued what he called a first-of-its-kind mandatory evacuation order for North Carolina's fragile barrier islands from one end of the coast to the other. Typically, local governments in North Carolina make the call on evacuations.

"We've seen nor'easters and we've seen hurricanes before," Cooper said, "but this one is different."

Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein in Washington; Jennifer Kay in Miami; Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; Jeffrey Collins in Latta, South Carolina; Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina; Jeff Martin in Atlanta; and Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg, Florida, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>WILMINGTON, N.C. – Fears about Hurricane Florence spread south on Wednesday, with Georgia declaring a state of emergency after officials in the Carolinas urged people to evacuate the coast ahead of the storm’s expected pounding winds and rain-driven floods.

Florence weakened slightly to a Category 3 storm on a five-step scale but had maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour (201 km per hour) as of 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT), down from 130 mph earlier in the day. Its trajectory showed its centre most likely to strike the southern coast of North Carolina by late Thursday or early Friday, the National Hurricane Center said.

Updated NHC forecasts showed the storm lingering near the coast of the Carolinas, carrying days of heavy rains that could bring intense inland flooding from South Carolina to Virginia. Parts of North Carolina could get 40 inches (1 metre) of rain.

Jeff Byard of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) invoked a former boxing champion to warn residents that Florence would bring “a Mike Tyson punch to the Carolina coast.”

“Heed the warnings,” said Byard, adding there was “well over $20 billion” in FEMA’s disaster relief fund.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper predicted tens of thousands of homes and businesses would be flooded in his state.

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, concerned the storm would bring its devastation south, issued an emergency declaration for all 159 counties in his state.

More than 1 million people have been ordered to evacuate the coastlines of the Carolinas and Virginia while schools and factories were being shuttered.

The NHC said the first tropical storm-force winds of at least 39 mph (63 kph) would hit the region early on Thursday with the storm’s centre reaching the coast Friday.

Emergency preparations in the area included activating 2,800 National Guard troops in North Carolina, stockpiling food, setting up shelters, switching traffic patterns so that major roads led away from shore and securing 16 nuclear reactors in the three-state region.

Wilmington, North Carolina, just north of where the hurricane is expected to come ashore, was sunny around midday on Wednesday as the town appeared to be emptying.

“I’m not approaching Florence from fear or panic,” said Brad Corpening, 35, who planned to ride out the storm in his boarded-up delicatessen in Wilmington. “It’s going to happen. We just need to figure out how to make it through.”

Officials in New Hanover County, which includes Wilmington, have stockpiled enough food and water for 60,000 people for four days, along with more than 28,000 tarps. Shelters in the city were filling and some people were being bused inland to Raleigh.

“It’s going to be bad,” said Woody White, chairman of the New Hanover County Commissioners. “But no matter how bad it’s going to be, it will pass and our job will be to rebuild this community together, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Even miles away from the Atlantic, North Carolina residents in low-lying areas are boarding up and emptying stores.

“A lot of our storefronts are boarded up,” said Lynn Davis, town manager for Belhaven which sits at sea level in northeastern North Carolina. “People are taking down awnings and U-Haul trucks have come in and take the entire contents of stores.”</s>"This morning I drove around for an hour looking for gas in Cary. Everyone was sold out," she said.

Florence is so wide that a life-threatening storm surge was being pushed 300 miles (485 kilometres) ahead of its eye, and so wet that a swath from South Carolina to Ohio and Pennsylvania could get deluged.

People across the region rushed to buy bottled water and other supplies, board up their homes, pull their boats out of the water and get out of town.

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 Walmart in Wilmington.

People weren't the only ones evacuating. Eight dogs and 18 cats from a shelter in Norfolk, Virginia, were sent to two shelters in Washington to make room for pets expected to be displaced by the hurricane. Wild horses on the barrier islands were expected to survive.

At 8 a.m., Florence had top sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph) and was centred 530 miles (855 kilometres) southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, approaching the coast at 17 mph (28 kph). Already a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane, it was moving over warmer water and expected to intensify to near Category 5, which means winds of 157 mph (253 kph) or higher.

Significantly, hurricane-force winds extended 70 miles (110 kilometres) from the eye, and tropical-storm-force winds reached 175 miles (280 kilometres) outward, making outdoor preparations difficult or dangerous as early as Thursday.

Florence is the most dangerous of three tropical systems in the Atlantic. Tropical Storm Isaac was east of the Lesser Antilles and expected to pass south of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and Cuba, while Hurricane Helene was moving northward away from land. Forecasters also were tracking two other disturbances.

The coastal surge from Florence could leave the eastern tip of North Carolina under more than 9 feet (2.75 metres) of water in spots, projections showed. The Navy, Air Force and Army were moving ships and aircraft out of harm's way. Thousands of Marines and their families evacuated from Camp Lejeune, leaving the rest to dig in ahead of what could be a direct hit.

"This one really scares me," National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said.

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 Jeff Byard, an official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Forecasters said parts of North Carolina could get 20 inches (50 centimetres) of rain, if not more, with as much as 10 inches (25 centimetres) elsewhere in the state and in Virginia, parts of Maryland and Washington, D.C.

One trusted computer model, the European simulation, predicted more than 45 inches (115 centimetres) in parts of North Carolina. A year ago, people would have laughed off such a forecast, but the European model was accurate in predicting 60 inches (150 centimetres) for Hurricane Harvey in the Houston area, so "you start to wonder what these models know that we don't," University of Miami hurricane expert Brian McNoldy said.

Rain measured in feet is "looking likely," he said.

Florence's projected path includes half a dozen nuclear power plants, pits holding coal-ash and other industrial waste, and numerous hog farms that store animal waste in huge lagoons.

Duke Energy spokesman Ryan Mosier said operators would begin shutting down nuclear plants at least two hours before hurricane-force winds arrive.

North Carolina's governor issued what he called a first-of-its-kind mandatory evacuation order for all of North Carolina's fragile barrier islands. Typically, local governments in the state make the call on evacuations.

"We've seen nor'easters and we've seen hurricanes before," Cooper said, "but this one is different."

Despite all that, 65-year-old Liz Browning Fox plans to ride the storm out in the Outer Banks village of Buxton, North Carolina, despite a mandatory evacuation order. Her 88-year-old mother refused to evacuate and will stay with her.

"Everyone who is staying here is either a real old-timer, someone who doesn't know where would be better, or someone involved in emergency operations one way or another," said Fox.

Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein in Washington; Jennifer Kay in Miami; Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; Jeffrey Collins in Latta, South Carolina; Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina; Jeff Martin and Jay Reeves in Atlanta; and Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg, Florida, contributed to this report.

For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes .

By Jonathan Drew, The Associated Press</s>RALEIGH, N.C. — Motorists streamed inland on highways turned into one-way routes Tuesday as more than 1 million people in three states were ordered to get out of the way of Hurricane Florence, a hair-raising storm taking dead aim at the Carolinas with 130 mph winds and potentially ruinous rains.

Florence was expected to blow ashore late Thursday or early Friday, then slow down and wring itself out for days, unloading 1 to 2½ feet of rain that could cause flooding well inland and wreak environmental havoc by washing over industrial waste sites and hog farms.

Forecasters and politicians pleaded with the public to take the warnings seriously and minced no words in describing the threat.

“This storm is a monster. It’s big and it’s vicious. It is an extremely, dangerous, life-threatening, historic hurricane,” said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said.

He added: “The waves and the wind this storm may bring is nothing like you’ve ever seen. Even if you’ve ridden out storms before, this one is different. Don’t bet your life on riding out a monster.”

North and South Carolina and Virginia ordered mass evacuations along the coast. But getting out of harm’s way could prove difficult.

Florence is so wide that a life-threatening storm surge was being pushed 300 miles ahead of its eye, and a swath of states from South Carolina to Ohio and Pennsylvania could get deluged.

People across the region rushed to buy bottled water and other supplies, board up their homes or just get out of town.

A line of heavy traffic moved away from the coast on Interstate 40, the main thoroughfare between the port city of Wilmington and inland Raleigh.

Between the two cities, about two hours apart, the traffic flowed smoothly in places and became gridlocked in others because of fender-benders.

Only a trickle of vehicles was going in the opposite direction, including pickup trucks stocked with plywood and other building materials.

Service stations 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.

At 2 p.m., the storm was centered 845 miles southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, moving at 17 mph. It was a potentially catastrophic Category 4 storm but was expected to keep drawing energy from the warm water and intensify to near Category 5, which means winds of 157 mph or higher.

Forecasters said parts of North Carolina could get 20 inches of rain, if not more, with as much as 10 inches elsewhere in the state and in Virginia, parts of Maryland and Washington, D.C.

One trusted computer model, the European simulation, predicted more than 45 inches in parts of North Carolina. A year ago, people would have laughed off such a forecast, but the European model was accurate in predicting 60 inches of rain for Hurricane Harvey in the Houston area, so “you start to wonder what these models know that we don’t,” said University of Miami hurricane expert Brian McNoldy.

Multiple feet of rain is “looking likely,” he said.

On Parris Island, South Carolina, recruits were ordered evacuated from the Marine Corps’ biggest training installation on the East Coast.

The storm forced people to cut their vacations short along the coast.

Paula Matheson of Springfield, Oregon, has been getting the full Southern experience during her 10-week RV vacation: hot weather, good food, beautiful beaches and, now, a hurricane evacuation.

Florence interrupted their nearly two-week stay on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It took them nearly the whole day Monday to drive the 60 miles off the barrier island.

“It was so beautiful. The water was fabulous. Eighty-five degrees,” Matheson said, pausing a moment. “I guess that’s a big part of the problem.”

Florence could slam the Carolinas harder than any hurricane since Hazel, which was hit in 1954 with 130 mph winds. The Category 4 storm destroyed 15,000 buildings and killed 19 people in North Carolina.

In the six decades since then, many thousands of people have moved to the coast.

Florence’s projected path includes half a dozen nuclear power plants, pits holding coal-ash and other industrial waste, and numerous hog farms that store animal waste in huge lagoons.

Duke Energy spokesman Ryan Mosier said operators would begin shutting down nuclear plants at least two hours before hurricane-force winds arrive.

North Carolina’s governor issued what he called a first-of-its-kind mandatory evacuation order for North Carolina’s fragile barrier islands from one end of the coast to the other. Typically local governments in North Carolina make the call on evacuations.

“We’ve seen nor’easters and we’ve seen hurricanes before,” Cooper said, “but this one is different.”
The North Carolina Tar Heels football game against the UCF Knights and the North Carolina State Wolfpack game against the West Virginia Mountaineers are cancelled due to Hurricane Florence.