North Carolina’s coastal communities began feeling the wrath of Hurricane Florence on Thursday, a storm that could be the worst to hit the region in a generation. The assault of wind and rain is expected to last through the weekend and well into next week. The storm is packing powerful winds of up to 90 miles per hour as it approaches the coast, driving a storm surge that could reach 11 feet in places. Inland residents are bracing for rainfall that is being forecast in feet, not inches, with the potential for catastrophic flash flooding. Here are the latest developments: • The center of the storm was about 30 miles east of Wilmington, N.C., at 4 a.m. Friday, with tropical-storm-force winds spreading across the Outer Banks and the southeastern coast of North Carolina. The National Hurricane Center said the storm, which has begun to slow and is now a Category 1 hurricane, was likely to maintain its intensity until its eye made landfall early Friday. • The cloud coverage from the storm, an indication of its size, is as large as the Carolinas. • The storm is forecast to crawl inland, drenching a wide area with extremely heavy rains — 20, 30 or even 40 inches of rainfall are predicted in some spots on the Carolina coast. Places as far inland as Charlotte, about 150 miles from the coast, could receive more than 10 inches of rain. Learn more about why slow-moving hurricanes are so dangerous.<doc-sep>Hurricane Florence: Residents evacuate as disaster at 'doorstep' top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Hurricane Florence is has begun to hit the Carolinas, with severe winds, heavy rain and rising floodwaters impacting North Carolina last night into this morning. The storm is now just 35 miles east of Wilmington, North Carolina and 50 miles southwest of Morehead City, North Carolina. According to their latest update at 2am AST (7am BST), the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) have placed Florence at a category one hurricane, with maximum sustained winds measured at 90mph. Despite the weakening of hurricane Florence from a category two to a category one hurricane, residents are being warned to evacuate as the storm will bring life-threatening weather conditions. More than 1.5million people have faced evacuation orders along coastal towns in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia as the storm bears down. States of emergency have now been declared in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. Here are the latest weather forecasts by city for affected areas. Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk's gusty showers yesterday will become squalls today (Friday) . Several cities across the Carolinas and East Coast will be affected by Florence Squalls are sudden violent gusts of wind or localised storms combined with rain. Two to four inches of rain could fall. There will also be easterly gusts of 50mph, with rain and winds lasting until Saturday. Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is experiencing face tropical storm conditions, with strong winds throughout the day and heavy driving rain. Winds will climb to between 70 and 90 mph according to forecasters, with storm conditions becoming the most severe on Friday at midday local time when Florence passes close by. Wilmington will still have tropical storm force winds on Saturday and could see total rainfall of up to 30 inches. Raleigh, North Carolina Tropical storm conditions began in Raleigh last night, lasting until Saturday. Winds could reach 45mph, with three to five inches of rain possible. Charlotte, North Carolina Winds will become strong gusts on Saturday, reaching a possible 40mph as rain approaches. Charlotte may see rain lasting through until early next week, with up to four inches possible. The East Coast will be hit within 36 hours according to meteorologists Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Tropical storm conditions hit Myrtle Beach late last night, with weather set to intensify this morning as winds reach up to 65mph. Steady squalls will occur on Friday, and with Florence’s movements slowing means that Myrtle Beach will see a long period of damaging winds this weekend. Friday night will feel the worst according to meteorologists, with strong storm surges potentially causing seawater to rise up to six feet above dry land. Total rainfall may be over a foot, with storm conditions lasting until Sunday. Florence is growing closer to the East Coast, with weather warnings and evacuations in place Hurricane Florence: Storm timeline as North Carolina set for hit Charleston, South Carolina Strong winds began yesterday for Charleston, continuing through Friday with the potential to grow even stronger on Saturday. There could be rain totalling eight inches, however, this forecast is highly uncertain and depends on the movement of Florence when it makes land. Columbia, South Carolina Wind and rain won’t reach Columbia until Saturday afternoon, steadily becoming stronger into Saturday night and Sunday. There is potential for rain to last until Monday, with eight inches possible. Stunning images show the swirling mass of winds from space<doc-sep>Hurricane Florence fast facts: Hurricane Florence, a Category 2 storm As of 8 p.m. ET, the storm is centered about 85 miles east-southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, and about 145 miles east of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, moving northwest at 5 mph with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles from Florence's center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles, NHC says Forecasters don't expect the storm to strengthen before it moves ashore, but they say the real problem will be water as it lingers along the coast through Saturday Nearly 1,500 flights canceled through Saturday; Duke Energy in the Carolinas anticipates 1 million to 3 million homes and businesses losing power 1.7 million people are under mandatory and voluntary evacuations orders, and more than 10 million people live in places currently under storm watches or warnings WILMINGTON, N.C. -- The big slosh has begun, and the consequences could be disastrous. The leading edge of Hurricane Florence battered the Carolina coast Thursday, bending trees and shooting frothy sea water over streets on the Outer Banks, as the hulking storm closed in with 100 mph winds for a drenching siege that could last all weekend. Tens of thousands are without power. The monster storm was moving 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 top sustained wind speeds dropped from a high of 140 mph to 100 mph early Thursday, reducing Florence from a Category 4 to a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which rates hurricanes based on sustained wind speed. Forecasters said conditions will only get more lethal as the storm smashes ashore early Friday near the North Carolina-South Carolina line and crawls slowly inland. Its surge could cover all but a sliver of the Carolina coast under as much as 11 feet of ocean water, and days of downpours could unload more than 3 feet of rain, touching off severe flooding. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said he knows many people are watching the changing storm predictions and categories, and he's concerned because some are even saying that "North Carolina is getting a break." It's not. "Please hear my message," he said. "We cannot underestimate this storm." "Don't relax, don't get complacent. Stay on guard," he said. "This is a powerful storm that can kill. Today the threat becomes a reality." South Carolina's most popular tourist destination, North Myrtle Beach, is like a ghost town. It was nearly empty Thursday as the first bands of Florence approached. A few locals briefly walked into the sand, but were quickly sandblasted back by stiff winds. One man tried to skimboard, but gave up after a few minutes as winds from the land cut down the waves. He called the ocean "Lake Myrtle" as he walked back to his car. Latest Hurricane Florence advisory from the National Hurricane Center The hurricane center said in its 8 p.m. advisory Thursday that Florence is centered about 85 miles east-southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, and about 145 miles east of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and is moving at a speed of about 5 mph. Hurricane-force winds are blowing 80 miles from its center, and tropical-storm-force winds reached up to 195 miles from the eye. Hurricane-force winds are moving closer to North Carolina's Outer Banks and the southeastern part of the state, the NHC said. Florence's center will approach the coasts of North and South Carolina later Thursday. It will move near -- or over -- the coast of southern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina in the hurricane warning area Friday. "A slow motion across portions of eastern and central South Carolina is forecast Friday night through Saturday night," the center said. Forecasters warned that Florence is deadly because of its size and slow forward speed. "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." Life-threatening, catastrophic flash flooding and prolonged significant river flooding are likely over portions of the Carolinas and the southern/central Appalachians into the middle of next week, as #Florence is expected to slow down as it approaches the coast and moves inland. pic.twitter.com/AjMMyjMSwm — NWS WPC (@NWSWPC) September 13, 2018 The NHC said life-threatening storm surge and rainfall are expected. The storm is expected to push up to 13 feet of storm surge and dump water on both North and South Carolina. The forecast calls for as much as 40 inches of rain over seven days along the coast, with the deluge continuing even as the center of the storm slogs away over the Appalachian Mountains. The result could be what the Houston area saw during Hurricane Harvey just over a year ago: catastrophic inland flooding that could swamp homes, businesses, farms and industrial sites. Florence is a very large storm, with an area of winds greater than tropical storm force stretching more than 325 miles across. This will generate a very large area of dangerous storm surge flooding in the coming days. Follow your local NWS office: https://t.co/GWrG0hTRHN pic.twitter.com/FVcZEwZcsE — NWS (@NWS) September 13, 2018 Tornadoes also remain a threat. The NHC said it is possible "a few tornadoes" will hit eastern North Carolina through Friday. The forecast track throws Georgia into potential peril, as well, as Florence moves inland. On Wednesday afternoon, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency. FEMA urged people to have multiple ways to receive local weather alerts -- through a weather radio, phone and TV. It also warned against the spread of false information and said it created a "rumor control page" for Florence that will be regularly updated. Hurricane Florence watches, warnings & evacuations About 5.25 million people live in areas under hurricane warnings or watches, and 4.9 million more live in places covered by tropical storm warnings or watches, the NWS said. The NHC said in its advisory that the following watches and warnings are in effect: A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for: South Santee River South Carolina to Duck North Carolina Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, including the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for: Edisto Beach South Carolina to South Santee River South Carolina North of Duck North Carolina to the North Carolina/Virginia border A Hurricane Warning is in effect for: South Santee River South Carolina to Duck North Carolina Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds A Hurricane Watch is in effect for: Edisto Beach South Carolina to South Santee River South Carolina A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for: North of Duck North Carolina to Cape Charles Light Virginia Chesapeake Bay south of New Point Comfort Edisto Beach South Carolina to South Santee River South Carolina More than 1.7 million people in North and South Carolina and Virginia were warned to clear out. In South Carolina alone, more than 421,000 people have evacuated, the state's governor, Henry McMaster, said Thursday afternoon. At a news conference just before 3 p.m. ET, he urged those in evacuation zones to leave now "because time is running out, and remember this: once these winds start blowing at that tropical-storm rate, it will be virtually impossible for the rescuers to get in to rescue you." "So if you have not left, if you are in a place of danger, if you are in these zones, now is the time to go because that window of opportunity is closing on you very quickly," he said. An emergency management official in one of the most populated areas of coastal North Carolina said Thursday afternoon that winds from the storm have arrived and other impacts won't be far behind. New Hanover County Emergency Management Director Steven Still said residents who didn't evacuate should expect 60 mph winds by Thursday n ight that would eventually increase to 100 mph or more.<doc-sep>
Hurricane Florence made landfall at 7:15 a.m. EDT Friday morning near Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina. The storm brought torrential rains and incredibly strong winds that caused flooding, power outages and more hazards along with it. The storm was expected to travel inland in South Carolina before traveling west-northwest as a tropical storm. By the time it reaches western South Carolina Sunday morning it's expected to be a tropical depression, according to a map forecast from the National Hurricane Center. How much rain the storm will still bring at that point is partially dependent on how quickly it travels now that it's over land. After Sunday, Florence is expected to continue north, and cross over western North Carolina and part of Tennessee, the three-day prediction from the NHC shows. By 8 a.m. Monday, the storm is expected to be a depression impacting mostly Kentucky. Areas in West Virginia and Virginia might also see the effects of the storm at that time. As of Friday, it was unclear how strong the storm might be three days out. "The future of Florence is still greatly influenced by the lack of a powerful steering flow, so it will continue to take its time, only slowly moving west-southwest the next few days. It won't be until later this weekend that the storm gets a chance to go north out of SC. That's when a high pressure to the north will build east, taking Florence on its western edge and moving it quickly northeast," Maria LaRosa, a meteorologist with the Weather Channel told Newsweek in an email Friday. The five-day forecast also didn't have any information about how strong the storm would be by the middle of next week, but it would likely be reduced to remnants of the initial storm. The track showed Florence potentially hanging a right at Kentucky and heading east over the U.S. From Kentucky, the storm could head up to Pennsylvania and then across the Northeast before reaching Maine on Wednesday. "Between Monday and Wednesday next week, Florence (likely a tropical depression at this point) is forecast to move from Kentucky to Maine. While rainfall forecasts in these areas are nowhere near those for NC and SC, there will be spots that could see several inches of rain," LaRosa said. Evacuations were ordered in the coastal states where the storm was first expected to hit, while flood watches and warnings were in effect from South Carolina up to Washington, D.C., Friday. A message from the NHC said, "Life-threatening, catastrophic flash flooding and prolonged significant river flooding are likely over portions of the Carolinas and the southern and central Appalachians through early next week, as Florence is expected to slow down while it moves inland." Florence's landfall was just the beginning of what would be a long few days of incredibly heavy rains accompanied by winds causing flooding along the coast and inland. Near the coast, storm surge was a huge concern, threatening the lives of those who chose to stay in their homes. This story was updated with a information from Weather Channel meteorologist Maria LaRosa.