At a Glance Residents in the mid-Atlantic are preparing for a possible strike from Hurricane Florence later this week. President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency Tuesday for Virginia. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a state of emergency Tuesday. Virginia's Emergency Management website crashed the day after evacuations were ordered. President Donald Trump on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Virginia, which frees up federal funds and resources. Trump noted that the safety of the American people is his "absolute highest priority." The mayor of the nation's capital declared a state of emergency in anticipation of possible flooding from the storm. Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the declaration during a Tuesday press conference honoring local 9/11 first responders, saying the emergency is effective immediately and will continue for 15 days. “While we are monitoring potential impacts of Hurricane Florence on the District, we remain committed to keeping our residents safe, prepared, and informed,” Mayor Bowser state in a Monday press release. “I encourage all District residents and visitors to take this storm seriously and stay up to date on the latest emergency information, including signing up for our AlertDC messaging service.” The declaration allows utility companies and other emergency crews to work extended hours during the emergency. It also makes it unlawful to price gouge. Also in the nation's capital, the possibility of heavy rainfall from Florence has the National Park Service contemplating deploying a flood levee built to protect parts of downtown Washington. Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst told the Washington Post that if conditions warrant it, the levee could be placed across 17th Street NW, just south of Constitution Avenue. Officials have not used the levee before. Virginia The day after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam ordered about 245,000 residents living in Zone A in low-lying areas of Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore to evacuate, the state's Department of Emergency Management's website and its detailed Know Your Zone maps crashed. "It went down and stayed down," Jeff Caldwell, the department's lead spokesman, told the Virginian-Pilot. Tuesday morning. The site was accessible later in the day, but it hasn't been completely restored. Brandon Alston carries a board to be placed over a window of the Casemate Museum on Fort Monroe, Tuesday, September 11, 2018, in Hampton, Virginia. The staff is preparing for rising waters and other possible flooding due to Hurricane Florence. (Jonathon Gruenke/The Daily Press via AP) To help with evacuations, the Virginia Department of Transportation suspended tolls for the Hampton Roads Express Lanes. It also temporarily reopened many of the lanes that were closed for construction. Northam had declared a state of emergency Saturday, allowing the Commonwealth to "mobilize resources, including the Virginia National Guard, and pre-position people and equipment to assist in storm response and recovery efforts," according to a press release. Capt. Kevin Carroll, commander of Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads, told the Virginian-Pilot people ordered to evacuate but who decide to ride out the storm may be on their own as the storm approaches, saying there will likely be a "diminished" ability to respond to emergencies. "If you are in the Tidewater region of Hampton Roads and you are not taking this storm seriously, you are making a mistake and that mistake could be a fatal one," Carroll said. The governor emphasized that the effects of the storm could be felt statewide and could range from high winds and storm surge in coastal Virginia to significant flooding both along the coast and in rivers and streams in the western part of the state. In response to the governor's order, which authorized the deployment of up to 6,000 Virginia National Guard personnel, the guard said in a press release that it is planning on bringing in 1,500 members initially. “The key to being able to rapidly respond is staging personnel and resources in strategic locations before the severe weather hits so they can quickly respond to assist communities if they are impacted by the severe weather from Hurricane Florence,” said Brig. Gen. James Ring, Virginia National Guard director of the joint staff. Schools throughout the state, including public schools in Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach are closed until further notice. On Tuesday shelters opened in Hampton, and in Gloucester and York counties. The Port of Virginia's shipping channel was closed Wednesday morning and will remain closed until conditions are safe enough for travel. The ground in the Mid-Atlantic area is already saturated from storms over the weekend. Advertisement Levar Stoney, mayor of Richmond, declared a state of emergency for the Commonwealth's capital city. Stoney said, according to the Associated Press, that even if Virginia doesn't receive a direct impact from Florence, the area could still see heavy rain, strong winds, possible flooding and power outages. He urged Richmond's residents to begin gathering supplies. According to Virginia Department of Emergency Management spokesman Jeff Caldwell, some shelters operated by local governments may not be open until Wednesday or Thursday, the AP notes. Elsewhere, the state's department of transportation said service for the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry would be suspended beginning 10 a.m. Wednesday until further notice. ​​​​​​(MORE: Hurricane Florence Forecast) Virginia Beach officials also began to release water from local lakes to make room for the expected heavy rainfall. An F-22 departs Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, on Tuesday morning, September 11, 2018, as Hurricane Florence approaches the Eastern Seaboard. Officials from Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton said the base's F-22 Raptors and T-38 Talon training jets, as a precaution, were headed for Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in central Ohio. (Jonathon Gruenke/The Daily Press via AP) The U.S. Navy ordered nearly 30 of its Virginia-based ships out to sea. Navy spokeswoman Alana Garas told AP the ships will travel to parts of the Atlantic where they can avoid the storm. On Tuesday, the Navy ordered personnel living in evacuation Zone A to evacuate per the state's mandate, according to a statement posted to Facebook. The Air Force and Air National Guard on Tuesday began moving jets from Virginia's coast to Ohio. Officials from Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton said the base's F-22 Raptors and T-38 Talon training jets were headed for Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in central Ohio. Workers at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk began moving animals into secure buildings ahead of the storm, the Virginian-Pilot reports. Similar preparations were taking place at the Virginia Aquarium, which is located less than a mile from the coast and is home to hundreds of animals, including Komodo dragons, otters and seals. Sandbridge residents who have been through numerous storms, including Irene, Matthew, Joaquin and Sandy are seriously debating whether to pack up and go or stay to ride out the storm. Such is the case for Doug Wilkins and his family. While he is ready to pack up the car and leave the seaside community located at the far northern end of the Outer Banks south of Virginia Beach, his wife told the Virginian-Pilot they family would remain at their bait shop. Joan Davis, another long-time resident, told the newspaper about half the residents choose to remain in Sandbridge during any hurricane or tropical storm, although there comes a point when people must heed mandatory evacuations. “The people in Sandbridge who are going to stay, they’re just going to stay,” Wilkins said. “But the people who have already been through the wars – they know when to leave.” Maryland Maryland's Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency Monday for his state. “At this time there’s still some uncertainty about the track of the storm and its potential impact,” Hogan announced during a press conference. “But we are preparing for the potential of historic, catastrophic and life-threatening flooding.” The Baltimore Sun reports that state officials are most concerned about inland flooding. They offered sand for sandbags to residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas on Tuesday. Russell Strickland, executive director of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, told the Sun that emergency staff are preparing emergency operations centers around the state, including swift water rescue boats and flat-bottomed boats, in a anticipation of possible flooding. “We could have the potential of having historical kind of flooding,” Strickland said. “We’re pretty confident we’re going to have a lot of rain.” Justin Mulcahy, a BGE spokesman told the Sun that Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. has asked 800 to 900 crew members from utilities in Chicago and Philadelphia to come help in the Baltimore area in the next few days.<doc-sep>Hurricane Florence, currently rated a Category 2 storm, is heading for the East Coast, affecting airports and flights in the Mid-Atlantic region. The storm was expected to hit the Carolinas on Thursday or Friday, while states like Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky will likely experience heavy rainfall, flooding and winds throughout the weekend. The National Weather Service said Florence could be "the storm of a lifetime." Airlines have already started to cancel thousands of flights across the Southeast. According to the website Flight Aware, 586 flights in and out of the U.S. will be canceled. Some airlines are waving fees for flight date changes, baggage, and pets. See the latest updates on Hurricane Florence's track, path and potential affected areas here. As of Thursday, here's what's been announced so far regarding airports and flights in Charleston, South Carolina; Atlanta; Charlotte; North Carolina; and elsewhere. Flight Cancellations The Willmington, South Carolina, airport has been closed, and the Myrtle Beach airport has closed for commercial flights. Delta has cancelled a total of 150 flights ahead of the hurricane, including 70 flights that had been scheduled for Friday. Charleston International Airport (KCHS) Charleston International Airport announced Florence would affect operations until at least Friday. The airport runways were closed Tuesday at midnight, the airport announced in an update. "The safety of our passengers and airport employees is our number one priority," Charleston Aviation Authority CEO Paul Campbell said. "The runways will reopen when the Air Force determines it is safe, and that depends on the impact HurricaneFlorence has on the area." A sampling of the flights affected is listed below. JetBlue flight 1374, scheduled to leave for New York at 5:08 p.m. on Friday, has been canceled. Southwest Airlines flight 371, scheduled to leave for Nashville, Texas, on Friday at 5:40 p.m., has been canceled. Mesa Airlines flight 6093, scheduled to leave for Houston, Texas, on Saturday at 7 a.m., has been canceled. Southwest Airlines flight 3415, scheduled to leave for Chicago on Saturday at 7:05 a.m., has been canceled. UPDATE: Due to the upcoming severe weather impact expected from Hurricane Florence through the southeastern United States, flights have been advance cancelled. A passenger accommodation policy (link below) remains in place for customers https://t.co/CUjMhw6gE8 pic.twitter.com/9VcA1FYmbn — Frontier Airlines (@FlyFrontier) September 12, 2018 Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport The Atlanta Airport urged passengers to monitor their specific airlines for updates regarding the hurricane. Some of the flights affected by the storm are listed below. Delta Airlines flight 1971, scheduled to leave for Charleston, South Carolina, at 4:53 pm on Thursday, has been canceled. SkyWest Airlines flight 3604, scheduled to leave for Fayetteville, North Carolina, at 5:14 pm on Thursday, has been canceled. Delta Airlines flight 2023, scheduled to leave for Charleston, South Carolina, at 6:02 pm on Thursday, has been canceled. Delta Airlines flight 1607, scheduled to leave for Charleston, South Carolina at 7:25 pm on Thursday, has been canceled. Charlotte Douglas International Airport Charlotte Airport urged passengers to check in with their airlines regarding specific flights and said many airlines had travel waivers in place for the hurricane. Some of the flights affected are listed below. American Airlines flight 765, scheduled to leave for Charleston, South Carolina, at 8:35 p.m. on Friday, has been canceled. Envoy Airlines flight 3975, scheduled to leave for Greensboro, North Carolina, at 10:14 p.m. on Friday, has been canceled. Republic Airlines flight 4402, scheduled to leave for Columbia, South Carolina, at 10:35 pm on Friday, has been canceled. Piedmont Airlines flight 5010, scheduled to leave for Florence, South Carolina, at 10:35 p.m. on Friday, has been canceled. As Hurricane Florence continues its approach, we've proactively cancelled over 70 flights in affected cities, w/ airports in Charleston, S.C., Fayetteville, N.C., Jacksonville, N.C. & Wilmington, N.C. closing later today ahead of the storm. https://t.co/LvIxCSlkwt — Delta (@Delta) September 12, 2018 Raleigh-Durham International Airport Raleigh Durham International Airport also urged passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport on Thursday. The airport said there were approximately 120 cancellations—55 arrivals and 65 departures. Southwest Airlines announced it had canceled all flights from the airport on Thursday and Friday. Air Canada, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue said they were not planning to operate from the airport, while American, Frontier and United announced scattered cancellations. A sampling of the flights affected is listed below. Frontier Airlines flight 1139, scheduled to leave for Austin, Texas, at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, has been canceled. Envoy Airlines flight 4055, scheduled to leave for New York City at 7:45 p.m. on Friday, has been canceled.<doc-sep>
The most devastating effects of Hurricane Florence will be in the Carolinas and Virginia, though surrounding states will also see some effects from the powerful storm, which is expected to make landfall late Thursday or early Friday. What's unusual about Florence is that instead of roaring ashore and quickly weakening, a new forecast shows the storm stalling right along the coast and potentially crawling to the south along the Carolina coast. Here's a state-by-state forecast: North Carolina The full fury of Florence should land in North Carolina, where hundreds of thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate. "Significant impacts are expected from Florence, including storm surge, extreme winds, possible tornadoes and exceptional amounts of rain, which will likely cause flash flooding and eventually serious river flooding," the National Weather Service in Newport, North Carolina, said. Initially, there will howling winds of up to 120 mph near where the storm comes ashore, and structural damage to homes and buildings is possible. Rainfall totals of up to 40 inches are possible across eastern North Carolina, which would lead to widespread, "catastrophic flooding." Cities such as Wilmington, Raleigh and Fayetteville are all in the crosshairs for devastating floods. "This storm looks like it’s going to stall over the region and potentially bring tremendous, life-threatening flooding,” AccuWeather meteorologist Marshall Moss said. In addition, destructive, life-threatening ocean waves will roar ashore as the hurricane's eye makes landfall. Up to 12 feet of surge could inundate coastal areas from Cape Fear to Cape Lookout. The worst of this surge will be to the north or northeast of where the center comes ashore, the Weather Channel said. South Carolina North Carolina's sister state to the south won't be spared: Coastal areas from Myrtle Beach to Charleston will see a storm surge of up to 6 feet. Thanks to the storm stalling out, floods from relentless rain will be the primary concern in the Palmetto State. "The main life-threatening risk may be a prolonged heavy rainfall event with associated flooding," the weather service in Columbia, South Carolina, said. The weather service added that "if the slow southwest drift of Florence pans out, it will bring very dangerous conditions to the northeast South Carolina coast" late Friday into Saturday. Along the coast of South Carolina, based on the latest track from the National Hurricane Center, strong rip currents, rough surf conditions, coastal flooding and some degree of beach erosion are all also possible, the Charleston weather service office said. Virginia Even if Virginia does not take a direct hit from Florence, heavy rain and flooding remain a real threat. In southeastern Virginia, including the Richmond and Norfolk metro areas, "life-threatening, if not historic rainfall totals" are possible during the Friday-Saturday time frame, the weather service in Wakefield, Virginia, warned. Maryland, Delaware, Washington, D.C. Specific repercussions from Florence this far from landfall are still uncertain. Portions of Maryland and Delaware may be on the edge of the excessive rainfall area, especially as the forecast track of the storm has pushed to the south. "With uncertainty remaining around the exact track of Florence after landfall, it is a bit early to highlight a specific area for heavy rain potential," the weather service in Washington, D.C., said. "However, the threat for significant rainfall and flooding is there for the weekend into early next week." West Virginia Although the forecast in the Mountain State is also much less certain this far inland and this far ahead of the storm, "significant rainfall" is possible early next week in West Virginia, the National Weather Service said. The state's mountainous terrain is always a concern when rain is in the forecast. “There could be devastating floods well in from the coast back in the hills and mountains of West Virginia,” AccuWeather's president Joel Myers warned.