On Thursday night, the beginning of what's expected to be catastrophic flooding for parts of the Carolinas got underway as Hurricane Florence, stretching 500 miles across, came ever closer to making landfall.The storm is expected to dump as much as 40 inches of rain and pummel parts of the coast with 13 foot storm surges.At this point, authorities are telling anyone who stayed behind to just shelter in place because these conditions are not letting up and will only intensify Thursday night into Friday morning, when the storm is expected to make landfall.</s>WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) - A mother and infant in North Carolina are dead after a tree fell on their home - the first two fatalities of Hurricane Florence.

The Wilmington Police Department said Friday that the two were killed when a tree fell on their house. The father was transported to a hospital for treatment. No other information was given.

The hurricane came ashore early Friday, pounding the state with torrential rain and high winds.

Forecasters have been predicting catastrophic flash flooding. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says more than 16 inches of rain have fallen at locations in southeast North Carolina and another 20 to 25 inches is on the way.</s>Despite being downgraded to a tropical storm from a category one hurricane, cascades of rain are pouring onto residential areas, filling the first floor of houses and causing cars to float along streets.



Rivers have burst their banks as the rain consistently falls with the slow-moving storm.



Florence is moving slowly across eastern South Carolina, and according to the National Hurricane Center is producing “catastrophic flooding over North and South Carolina.” Hitting North Carolina on Friday, Hurricane Florence has slowed right down in its path, meaning the Carolinas are facing the brunt of the storm conditions.Despite being downgraded to a tropical storm from a category one hurricane, cascades of rain are pouring onto residential areas, filling the first floor of houses and causing cars to float along streets.Rivers have burst their banks as the rain consistently falls with the slow-moving storm.Florence is moving slowly across eastern South Carolina, and according to the National Hurricane Center is producing “catastrophic flooding over North and South Carolina.”

Dangerous storm surges and rising tides have caused coastal areas to be flooded, with water rushing inland from the shoreline. 



Videos posted to social media show water gushing through the streets and carrying debris as winds cause trees to rip from their roots. 



The coastline is under immediate threat of increasingly high water levels due to winds pushing surges onshore, with large and destructive waves. 



Water could reach as high as 5ft in some areas.

Here is a list of areas which could see water heights reach dangerous levels:

According to AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski: “Strength, track and forward speed of Florence will be the major players in determining the scope and amount of rainfall and correspondingly the severity of inland flooding.” 



There is the potential for 40 inches of rain to fall in some areas across Northern and Southern Carolina. 



If 40 inches of rain does fall, it will be the heaviest amount of rain from a single storm in the lower United States since Hurricane Harvey in 2017 says Accuweather. 



Since the storm began, weather experts gave already recorded more than 20 inches of rain in southeastern North Carolina. 



Up to 40inches of rain are possible in some areas say Accuweather

Rainfall enough to cause major flooding could occur in part of northern Georgia, eastern Tennessee and perhaps southern West Virginia.



This would happen should Florence continue on its westward trajectory this weekend and into early next week.



Should the storm change direction it could bring torrential rain to southern Virginia or even farther south in Georgia.



The northeast could also face flooding from Florence, but not until later next week, depending on the path of the storm.</s>Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Hundreds rescued in deadly Florence floods

As flooding continues to inundate North Carolina, the death toll from Florence has risen to at least 32, with 25 deaths confirmed in North Carolina.

The state's governor, Roy Cooper, said on Monday that the "epic storm" was still an immediate danger as rivers reach major flood levels.

The coastal city of Wilmington became an island amid heavy floods following the storm.

Officials have warned evacuated residents to stay away.

At a news conference on Monday, Gov Cooper said "catastrophic flooding and tornados are still claiming lives and property" across the state.

"For many parts of North Carolina the danger is still immediate," he said. "Some areas have not seen the worst flooding yet. This is a monumental disaster for our state."

An initial estimate from Moody's Analytics puts the cost of Florence between $17bn (£13bn) and $22bn, making the storm one of the 10 costliest hurricanes in US history, according to NPR.

Most of the monetary damage is due to property loss, and the company said these figures could rise as inland flooding continues.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The Waffle House chain remained open in the marooned city - whether a town's Waffle House is open is one of the indicators FEMA uses to determine the scale of a disaster

In Wilmington, with its population of about 120,000, some 400 people have had to be rescued from flood waters, and most of the city remains without power.

The governor said that 23 truckloads of supplies were able to make it into Wilmington this morning, though officials are uncertain whether the single road into the city will remain functional as rivers continue to flood.

The National Weather Service has warned of at least two further days of possible flash flooding in the area before conditions are forecast to improve.

"Do not come here," New Hanover County Commission Chairman Woody White said. "We want you home, but you can't come yet."

A city-wide curfew has been extended after five people were arrested on suspicion of looting from a store on Saturday.

The area is usually best known as a filming location for US dramas One Tree Hill and Dawson's Creek, and as the childhood home of US basketball legend Michael Jordan.

What's the latest on the storm?

Florence has now weakened to a tropical depression with winds of 30mph (45km/h), according to the National Hurricane Centre.

Some parts of the Carolinas have seen up to 40in (100cm) of rain since Thursday.

On Monday, the National Weather Service announced that the Cape Fear River near Fayetteville, North Carolina, is expected to reach the major flood stage - levels over 60ft (18m) - by this evening.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Gusts & floods: the impact of the storm

There were several tornado warnings across North Carolina on Monday morning.

One twister touched down in Elm City, causing some damage to buildings and power lines, according to local media reports.

In Richmond, Virginia, one person died in a tornado on Monday afternoon as Florence began making its way north.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption A boat made its way to a backyard in New Bern, North Carolina, courtesy of Florence

Officials in North Carolina say some 900 people have been rescued from floodwaters by the US Coast Guard and volunteers, and about 14,000 people are still in emergency shelters.

US President Donald Trump - who may visit North Carolina in the coming days - has declared a disaster in several North Carolina counties, freeing up federal funding for recovery efforts.

Skip Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump FEMA, First Responders and Law Enforcement are working really hard on hurricane Florence. As the storm begins to finally recede, they will kick into an even higher gear. Very Professional! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 16, 2018 Report

Gov Cooper said he has been in touch with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who visited North Carolina on Monday.

"We know that we're going to need significant federal resources, and they have promised them across the board," Gov Cooper said on Monday of Fema and DHS.

Power companies are working to restore power to the nearly half a million homes and businesses in both states that are still without electricity.

The storm has begun to move into Virginia and West Virginia, and is expected to turn toward New England on Tuesday.

What do we know of the victims?

On Monday, police in Union County, North Carolina, recovered the body of a one-year-old boy who had been swept away by floodwaters.

The boy's mother had driven around a barricade in the road and ended up stalled in rushing water. As she tried to leave the car, she lost grip of the boy and he was carried off in the floods, the News & Observer reported.

An 88-year-old man was also found dead in Union County on Monday, next to a car that had been submerged in the floods.

Among the other fatalities were two men in their 70s who died in Lenoir County - one had been connecting extension cords and another was blown by high winds when checking on his dogs.

Four road deaths in South Carolina have been blamed on the storm, and two people died from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a generator inside their home.

Ask a question</s>Despite being downgraded to a tropical storm from a category one hurricane, cascades of rain are pouring onto residential areas, filling the first floor of houses and causing cars to float along streets.



Rivers have burst their banks as the rain consistently falls with the slow-moving storm.



Florence is moving slowly across eastern South Carolina, and according to the National Hurricane Center is producing “catastrophic flooding over North and South Carolina.” Hitting North Carolina on Friday, Hurricane Florence has slowed right down in its path, meaning the Carolinas are facing the brunt of the storm conditions.Despite being downgraded to a tropical storm from a category one hurricane, cascades of rain are pouring onto residential areas, filling the first floor of houses and causing cars to float along streets.Rivers have burst their banks as the rain consistently falls with the slow-moving storm.Florence is moving slowly across eastern South Carolina, and according to the National Hurricane Center is producing “catastrophic flooding over North and South Carolina.”

Dangerous storm surges and rising tides have caused coastal areas to be flooded, with water rushing inland from the shoreline. 



Videos posted to social media show water gushing through the streets and carrying debris as winds cause trees to rip from their roots. 



The coastline is under immediate threat of increasingly high water levels due to winds pushing surges onshore, with large and destructive waves. 



Water could reach as high as 5ft in some areas.

Here is a list of areas which could see water heights reach dangerous levels:

According to AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski: “Strength, track and forward speed of Florence will be the major players in determining the scope and amount of rainfall and correspondingly the severity of inland flooding.” 



There is the potential for 40 inches of rain to fall in some areas across Northern and Southern Carolina. 



If 40 inches of rain does fall, it will be the heaviest amount of rain from a single storm in the lower United States since Hurricane Harvey in 2017 says Accuweather. 



Since the storm began, weather experts gave already recorded more than 20 inches of rain in southeastern North Carolina. 



Up to 40inches of rain are possible in some areas say Accuweather

Rainfall enough to cause major flooding could occur in part of northern Georgia, eastern Tennessee and perhaps southern West Virginia.



This would happen should Florence continue on its westward trajectory this weekend and into early next week.



Should the storm change direction it could bring torrential rain to southern Virginia or even farther south in Georgia.



The northeast could also face flooding from Florence, but not until later next week, depending on the path of the storm.</s>As Hurricane Florence pummels the Carolinas with heavy rain, strong winds and flooding, Pennsylvanians are wondering what the tropical threat will bring to their state.

The answer to how much rain Pennsylvania will receive varies from meteorologist to meteorologist, but they all agree rain is coming.

The Weather Channel, during a live report from North Carolina on Friday morning, predicted Pennsylvania will get "days of rain" from Hurricane Florence.

Florence made landfall as a category 1 hurricane. What sets this storm apart is its slow pace and the amount of rain of rain it is expected to bring over several days. The Carolinas could get more than 3 feet of rain before the storm moves north.

Pennsylvania is not expected to receive that much rain. But as Weather Channel meteorologist Stephanie Abrams said, "Pennsylvania can't handle another drop of rain."

This state is experiencing one of its wettest months on record, and several flash floods were reported throughout the summer. Some of those floods have been so severe that homes and roads were destroyed, and major highways were flooded and closed.

Florence could bring slow-moving, torrential downpours with 3 to 6 inches of rain in most areas of Pennsylvania early next week, according to AccuWeather.

More: Hurricane Florence: What we know on Friday morning

Some areas of the state, particularly in the southwestern corner, could receive about 8 inches of rain.

"Residents from the Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts should be prepared in case of tropically-enhanced rain and flooding occurring next week," AccuWeather meteorologist Courtney Spamer said in a weather report.

The National Weather Service in State College is predicting less rain, with the caveat that the forecast can change.

About 1 to 5 inches of Florence rain is expected Monday or Tuesday across the center swath of the state, including southcentral Pennsylvania, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Paul Head.

That rain is expected to arrive Monday night or Tuesday, and will come after some scattered showers. But it will follow a weekend that is predicted to be mostly dry.

Head doesn't think the Florence rain will cause any problems in Pennsylvania, even though the groundwater is "well above normal" and at "record levels" for September.

Because the ground is already so wet, AccuWeather meteorologists say "a mere 1-2 inches of rain in six hours or less could be enough to initiate flash flooding" throughout the region and up through New York and New England.

More: Waiting for Florence: Tales from the front lines of an approaching hurricane

More: How the Waffle House Index will help FEMA determine just how bad Hurricane Florence gets

Exactly how much rain the southcentral Pennsylvania region receives is "hard to say," Head said.

"It could be 1 to 2 inches, or 2 to 4 and up to 5 inches in the central part of the state," he said.

"Oh, yeah, of course. It's a hurricane," Head said.</s>Florence could dump enough rain to fill the Chesapeake Bay

WASHINGTON (AP) — Florence's rain total will likely be staggeringly huge.

Meteorologist Ryan Maue of weathermodels.com calculates that Hurricane Florence is forecast to dump about 18 trillion gallons of rain over a week over the North Carolina, South Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Maryland. It doesn't include rain after it dissipates and its remnants circle back to the northeast.

That much rain is 2.4 trillion cubic feet (68 billion cubic meters). It's enough to cover Manhattan with nearly 3,800 feet (1.1 kilometers) of water, more than twice as high as the island's tallest building, One World Trade Center.

Florence's 18 trillion gallons is as much water as there is in the entire Chesapeake Bay. It's also enough to cover the entire state of Texas with nearly 4 inches (10 centimeters) of water.

North Carolina alone is forecast to get 9.6 trillion gallons of rain, enough to cover the Tar Heel state in about 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain.

Those rainfall predictions still don't quite measure up to the 25 trillion gallons from last year's Harvey in Texas and Louisiana because the 2017 storm stalled longer and stayed closer to the Gulf of Mexico for more moisture. Florence still should swamp the 5.2 trillion gallons that fell 19 years ago when Floyd was the last scary storm to hit the Carolinas.

Maue calculates that 34 million people in the U.S. are forecast to get at least 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of rain from Florence, with more than 5.7 million probably getting at least a foot, and about 1.5 million getting 20 inches (51 centimeters) or more.

For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes</s>Alexander County will see heavy rainfall this weekend, Sept. 15-16, 2018, from Hurricane Florence.

Russell Greene, Alexander County Emergency Management Director, noted that Saturday and Sunday wind gusts would be around 30 MPH, but the precipitation could be about 1.5 inches of rain Saturday and 7.5 inches of rain on Sunday, or possibly a total of 10-11 inches of rain from the storm by Monday, Sept. 17. This increases the potential for river and isolated flooding. A few landslides are likely in the mountains and higher foothills. Areas with recent landslide activity are more susceptible to additional landslides.</s>This story was updated at 9:15 a.m. Saturday.

Former Hurricane Florence is currently dousing the Carolinas, although the storm has been downgraded to a tropical storm as of Saturday morning. That doesn't mean that it's going to go away, but its path is starting to come into focus according to the National Weather Service's predictive models. 



What does that mean for Pennsylvania? On Friday afternoon, the NWS tweeted a graphic showing where it expects Florence to head next, with a great band of rain stretching across central Pennsylvania:

In case the tweet doesn't load, the NWS is predicting "excessive rainfall" over the next seven days.

"The highest amounts in our basin are expected in Virginia, West Virginia, western Maryland, and Pennsylvania," the tweet says.

If Florence continues to follow this new predicted trajectory, it looks like Philadelphia and New Jersey will avoid seeing more than two inches, but places like Lebanon and Dauphin counties, along with Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and the western side of the state likely won't be as lucky. The middle of the state could see as much as four inches of rain over the next week.

MORE NEWS: Central Pa. pet sanctuary takes in pups, cats fleeing from Hurricane Florence

The Jersey Shore coast is already beginning to see the effects of the storm. National Weather Service forecasters are warning of a high risk of dangerous rip currents developing along beaches due to swells from Florence.



As far as the Carolinas are concerned, U.S. forecasters expected the hurricane to produce total rainfall accumulations of 20 to 30 inches with maximum amounts to 40 inches in isolated areas near the storm's track.

AccuWeather estimated the financial toll could reach $30 billion.</s>Hurricane Center: Tropical Storm Florence, with top winds of 50 mph, dumping up to 15 more inches of rain on Carolinas

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Center: Tropical Storm Florence, with top winds of 50 mph, dumping up to 15 more inches of rain on Carolinas.
17 people are confirmed dead after Hurricane Florence-related incidents. Florence is expected to dump an additional 10 to 15 inches of rain in parts of the Carolinas.