Video: Hurricane Florence Slams Pier in N. Carolina

A video shows Hurricane Florence’s waters battering a pier in Rodanthe, North Carolina, on Sept. 13.

Rebecca Wells Hooper captured the footage, showing the water getting dangerously close to the pier entry.

At 12 p.m. on Sept. 14, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Florence is still a Category 1 storm with 80 mph sustained winds. The storm is moving 6 mph west and is “wobbling slowly” over the extreme southern part of North Carolina, the agency said.

“NOAA Doppler weather radar data and surface observations indicate that the center of Hurricane Florence has turned back toward west. An erratic motion between westward and west-southwestward is likely today,” the NHC said.

Huge rainfall totals have been recorded in North Carolina. The NHC said that 18.5 inches of rain have fallen in Oriental, North Carolina; 14 inches in Surf City, North Carolina; 13.8 inches in Morehead City, North Carolina; and 13 inches in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

According to the NHC’s discussion, “The hurricane is turning westward as it continues a slow forward motion … Florence is currently in a region of weak steering currents associated with a col between two mid-level anticyclones.”

It added, “Over the next few days, a high-pressure area is forecast to build to the east-northeast of the tropical cyclone. As a result, the system should gradually turn northwestward and northward in 2-3 days.”

About 150 people need water rescues in New Bern in the early morning of Sept. 14.

“Currently ~150 awaiting rescue in New Bern. We have 2 out-of-state FEMA teams here for swift water rescue. More are on the way to help us. WE ARE COMING TO GET YOU. You may need to move up to the second story, or to your attic, but WE ARE COMING TO GET YOU. #FlorenceNC,” the city tweeted at 2 a.m.