Hurricane Florence has made landfall in North Carolina, forcing a life-threatening storm surge of floodwater inland and shredding structures in its path.
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.
Florence made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane at 7:15 a.m. at Wrightsville Beach, a few miles east of Wilmington, as the center of its eye moved onshore, the National Hurricane Center said.
The storm’s maximum sustained winds held at about 90 mph, and it appeared that the north side of the eye was the most dangerous place to be as Florence moved ashore.
More Than 415,000 Power Outages
Coastal streets flowed with frothy ocean water, and more than 415,000 homes and businesses were without power, mostly in North Carolina, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks the nation’s electrical grid.New Bern was one of the first cities affected by storm surge floodwaters after the Neuse River overflowed, flooding parts of the town. A gauge on the river had already recorded 10 feet of inundation, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
Reports have been received of major structural damage to homes and businesses in Onslow Country, according to The Weather Channel.
Over 20 inches of rain had fallen on Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach, both in Carteret County, by Friday morning.
Hurricane Florence is set to inundate almost all of North Carolina in several feet of water, State Governor Roy Cooper told a news conference, while National Weather Service forecaster Brandon Locklear predicted up to eight months’ worth of rain in two or three days.
Utility companies said millions were expected to lose power and its restoration could take weeks.
Key Warnings from NHC
“A life-threatening storm surge is already occurring along portions of the North Carolina coast and will continue through today and tonight,” the NHC said in an alert posted at 5 a.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 14.“This surge is also likely along portions of the South Carolina coast,” the warning continues.
“The greatest storm surge inundation is expected between Cape Fear and Cape Hatteras, including the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers and western Pamlico Sound.”
The NHC also warns of “life-threatening, catastrophic flash flooding and prolonged significant river flooding” through early next week.
“Damaging hurricane-force winds are occurring along portions of the North Carolina coast and are expected to spread to portions of the South Carolina coast” later on Friday.
The alert also cautions against the presence of large swells affecting Bermuda, portions of the U.S. east coast, and the northwestern and central Bahamas, “resulting in life-threatening surf and rip currents.”
About 10 million people could be affected by the storm and more than a million were ordered to evacuate the coasts of the Carolinas and Virginia.
At least 12,000 people have taken refuge in 126 emergency shelters, Cooper said, with more facilities being opened.
The NHC said the threat of tornadoes was increasing as Florence neared shore and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said the heavy rain could trigger landslides in the west of his state.
Emergency declarations were in force in Georgia, South and North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
