Florence exploded into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane Monday as it closed in on North and South Carolina, carrying winds up to 130 mph and water that could wreak havoc over a wide stretch of the eastern United States later this week.
Communities along a stretch of coastline that’s vulnerable to rising sea levels due to climate change prepared to evacuate the storm, which forecasters expect to be close to Category 5 strength by Tuesday.
The South Carolina governor ordered the state’s entire coastline to be evacuated starting at noon Tuesday and predicted that 1 million people would flee.
Empty shelves are seen at a supermarket as residents prepare for Florence's descent in Columbia, South Carolina
And Virginia’s governor ordered a mandatory evacuation for some residents of low-lying coastal areas.
James Wemyss puts out more supplies at The Home Depot in Wilmington, North Carolina on Monday
Brian Franklin prepares more generators for sale as people buy supplies at The Home Depot in Wilmington
Florence rapidly strengthened into a potentially catastrophic hurricane on Monday as it closed in on North and South Carolina
Communities along a stretch of coastline that’s vulnerable to rising sea levels due to climate change prepared to evacuate the storm, which forecasters expect to be close to Category 5 strength by Tuesday
Chris Rayner helps customers load their cars as they buy supplies at The Home Depot in Wilmington
Customers line up to buy propane at Socastee Hardware store, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Florence in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Locals load groceries into a jeep in Kinston, North Carolina after purchasing items at a grocery store in preparation for the hurricane
Hurricane Florence is seen from the International Space Station as it churns in the Atlantic Ocean towards the east coast of the United States on Monday
In this photo released by the U.S. Navy on Monday, the guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze departs Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia after the announcement of Hurricane Florence
There are nearly 30 ships preparing to get underway from Naval Station Norfolk and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek as Hurricane Florence is forecasted to bring high winds and rain to the Mid-Atlantic coast
In the handout photo above, the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul departs Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia on Monday
The guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan is seen departing Naval Station Norfolk. Ships will be directed to areas of the Atlantic where they will be best postured for storm avoidance
The U.S. military said it was sending an advance team to Raleigh, North Carolina, to coordinate with federal and state partners.
It said about 750 military personnel would be designated to provide support.
The U.S. Navy also ordered all warships docked at the world's largest military port out to sea.
The commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command said that nearly 30 warships would be sent out from Hampton Roads, which is home to Naval Station Norfolk, according to USA Today.
Naval Station Norfolk is the home base of four aircraft carriers - the USS Abraham Lincoln, the USS Gerald Ford, the USS George H.W. Bush, and the USS Harry Truman.
The USS Bush, the USS Lincoln, and the USS Truman are Nimitz-class aircraft carriers that are powered by nuclear energy.
Other military personnel could also find themselves directly in harm’s way.
The largest U.S. Marine Corps base on the East Coast, Camp Lejeune and its extensive beachfront northeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, lie within the NHC’s forecast 'cone' for possible landfall.
The storm’s first effects were already apparent on barrier islands as dangerous rip currents hit beaches and seawater flowed over a state highway.
For many people, the challenge could be finding a safe refuge: If Florence slows to a crawl just off the coast, it could bring torrential rains to the Appalachian mountains and as far away as West Virginia, causing flash floods, mudslides and other dangerous conditions.
The storm’s potential path also includes half a dozen nuclear power plants, pits holding coal-ash and other industrial waste, and numerous hog farms that store animal waste in massive open-air lagoons.
Airlines, including American and Southwest, have started letting passengers change travel plans that take them into the hurricane’s possible path.
National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham warned that Florence was forecast to linger over the Carolinas once it reaches shore. People living well inland should prepare to lose power and endure flooding and other hazards, he warned.
'It’s not just the coast,' Graham said.
This NOAA satellite handout image shows Hurricane Florence (center) as it gains strength in the Atlantic Ocean southeast of Bermuda moving west on Monday. Hurricane Isaac and Helene can be seen to the east of Florence
By 5pm Monday, Florence was centered about 1,170 miles east-southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, and moving west at 13 mph
Satellite imagery shows the volatile Atlantic Ocean as Florence, Isaac, and Helene continue to march westward
The National Weather Center also said that Hurricane Isaac, much farther out to sea, has become the 5th named hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic season
The map above shows the projected path that Isaac will take as it approaches Barbados and Puerto Rico
Walker Townsend, at right, from the Isle of Palms, S.C., fills a sand bag while Dalton Trout, in center, holds the bag at the Isle of Palms municipal lot where the city was giving away free sand in preparation for Hurricane Florence
Rob Quinn boards up Lagerheads Tavern in Wrightsville Beach, N.C. as they prepare for Hurricane Florence Monday
'When you stall a system like this and it moves real slow, some of that rainfall can extend well away from the center.'
A warm ocean is the fuel that powers hurricanes, and Florence will be moving over waters where temperatures are peaking near 85 degrees, hurricane specialist Eric Blake wrote.
And with little wind shear to pull the storm apart, Florence’s hurricane wind field was expected to expand over the coming days, increasing its storm surge and inland wind threats.
By 5pm Monday, Florence was centered about 1,170 miles east-southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, and moving west at 13 mph.
Its center will move between Bermuda and the Bahamas on Tuesday and Wednesday and approach the coast of South Carolina or North Carolina on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Two other storms were spinning in the Atlantic.
President Donald Trump is seen above in the Oval Office coordinating the response to the approaching hurricanes. Vice President Mike Pence (second from right) and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly are seen above
Trump tweeted: 'Just had calls with South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam regarding the incoming storm. Federal Government stands by, ready to assist 24/7'
The president also tweeted on Monday: 'Heed the directions of your State and Local Officials - and know that WE are here for you. Be SAFE!'
The president said he also conferred with the heads of federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Hurricane Isaac was expected to lose strength as it reaches the Caribbean, and Helene, much farther out to sea, may veer northward into the open ocean as the 2018 hurricane season reaches its peak.
In the Pacific, Hurricane Olivia triggered warnings for multiple Hawaiian islands as it blew west toward an arrival over the state as soon as late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Preparations for Florence were intensifying up and down the densely populated coast.
Since reliable record-keeping began more than 150 years ago, North Carolina has been hit by only one Category 4 hurricane: Hazel, with 130 mph winds, in 1954.
The parking lot has been full for three days at the Ace Hardware store in coastal Calabash, North Carolina, where manager Tom Roberts said he sold 150 gas cans in two hours Monday, along with generators, plywood, rope, manual can openers, sand bags and a plethora of other items.
'I’ve been doing this since 1983,' Roberts said as he completed an order for another 18-wheeler full of supplies.
'This is the craziest one.'
Many newcomers have moved to the coast in the nearly 19 years since the last strong hurricane - Floyd - threatened the area. Roberts said he’s telling them to get out of town.
'I’m telling them to go inland, but I’m worried about the rain and tornadoes too,' Roberts said.
Several meteorologists said Florence could do what Hurricane Harvey did last year over Texas, dumping days of rain, although not quite as bad.
'I think this is very Harvey-esque,' said University of Miami hurricane expert Brian McNoldy.
'Normally, a landfalling tropical cyclone just keeps on going inland, gradually dissipating and raining itself out. But on rare occasions, the steering patterns can line up such that a storm slips into a dead zone between troughs and ridges.'
On North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Dawn Farrow Taylor, 50, was gathering photos and important documents and filling prescriptions Monday before heading inland.
She grew up on the island chain, and says this will be only the second time she’s evacuated.
'I don’t think many of us have ever been through a Category 4. And out here we’re so fragile. We’re just a strip of land - we’re a barrier island,' she said.
In the village of Buxton, Liz Browning Fox plans to ride the storm out in her house on top of a ridge. She believes her home, built in 2009, will be secure, but it’s hard to foresee all potential hazards.
'You never know, there could be tree missiles coming from any direction,' she said.
'There is no way to be completely safe.'
An evacuation order from Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam applies to about 245,000 people, including parts of the Hampton Roads area and Eastern Shore.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said his state was 'in the bullseye' of the storm and urged people to 'get ready now.'
Cooper is urging residents to evacuate the state's coastal areas as Hurricane Florence moves closer to landfall.
Cooper's office said in a statement Monday that the Category 4 hurricane is expected to hit the Wilmington area on Thursday, but impacts of the storm will likely begin Wednesday.
Cooper says the state faces three threats from Florence: 'ocean surge along our coast, strong winds, and inland flooding from heavy rain.'
Counties that have ordered evacuations are Bertie, Brunswick, Currituck, Dare, Hyde, New Hanover and Onslow.
The statement says more evacuation orders are expected on Tuesday.
Residents are also urged to download the Ready NC app or follow NC Emergency Management on Facebook and Twitter for weather updates and to learn how to prepare for the storm.
North Carolina also ordered an evacuation of some 250,000 residents on the Outer Banks and parts of coastal Dare County, while a state of emergency was declared in both Virginia and Maryland.
Florence has winds of 130 miles per hour and is due to gain strength before making landfall early Thursday, bringing heavy rain that could cause severe flooding through the region.
'Further strengthening is anticipated, and Florence is expected to be an extremely dangerous major hurricane through Thursday,' the National Hurricane Center said.
South Carolina's emergency management agency said it was already 'preparing for the possibility of a large-scale disaster'.
Rapidly intensifying Hurricane Florence (bottom right) could strike a direct and dangerous blow anywhere from the Carolinas to the Mid-Atlantic region later this week
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued the evacuation order on Monday for all eight counties along the coast, including: Jasper, Beaufort, Colleton, Charleston, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry, and Berkeley.
'This is a very dangerous hurricane,' McMaster said, adding that the evacuation order for coastal counties was 'mandatory, not voluntary.'
'We do not want to risk one South Carolina life in this hurricane.'
He said storm surge could reach as high as 10 feet and estimated that one million residents would be leaving the coast. Eastbound lanes of Interstate 26 heading into Charleston and U.S. 501 heading into Myrtle Beach will be reversed when the order takes effect.
McMaster, as well as the governors of North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland, have already declared states of emergency.
'Now is the time for your family also to prepare and stay tuned for more updates,' McMaster said earlier. 'Plan for the worst, pray for the best.'
Forecasters say the hurricane's strength is expected to fluctuate but it still will be a dangerous storm by the time it reaches the coast of South Carolina or North Carolina on Thursday.
For many people, the challenge could be finding a safe refuge: If Florence slows to a crawl just off the coast, it could bring torrential rains to the Appalachian mountains and as far away as West Virginia, causing flash floods, mudslides and other dangerous conditions.
The storm's potential path also includes half a dozen nuclear power plants, pits holding coal-ash and other industrial waste, and numerous eastern hog farms that store animal waste in massive open-air lagoons.
National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham warned that Florence was forecast to linger over the Carolinas once it reaches shore. He said people living well inland should prepare to lose power and endure flooding and other hazards.
It's too early to know the exact path, but forecasters said Florence could blow ashore in the Carolinas by Thursday
Chris Rayner helps customers load their cars as they bought supplies at a Home Depot in Wilmington, North Carolina in preparation for Hurricane Florence
People shop at the Harris Teeter, filling up on water and supplies, in Charleston, South Carolina as Hurricane Florence becomes a threat
Heavy rain in the Washington area over the weekend had already led to flooding in historic Alexandria, Virginia and the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for part of the Potomac River.
North Carolina officials on Monday ordered mandatory evacuations for the state's Outer Banks barrier islands
One person drowned on Sunday and two others were injured in dangerous surf conditions off Daytona Beach in Florida churned by Hurricane Florence.
Up and down the densely populated coast, residents have been told to prepare, and not just for a possible direct blow. Florence could slow or stall on or near shore, scooping up massive amounts of seawater.
Some forecasting models show it could unload a foot or two of rain in places, causing devastating inland flooding. Forecasters also warned of a rising threat of life-threatening storm surge, along with the damaging winds.
Navy ships off Virginia's coast were preparing to sail out of the path, a North Carolina university has already canceled classes and people have begun stocking up on plywood, bottled water and other supplies.
Red flags have already been flying on beaches, warning swimmers to stay out of the water as seas began kicking up. People rushed to get emergency kits ready, map out escape routes, fill sandbags and secure their homes.
In coastal Charleston, South Carolina, city officials offered sandbags to residents. Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune urged people to secure their homes but said it was too early to know if evacuations will be ordered.
Myrtle Beach hardware stores and supermarkets were busy ringing up sales of bottled water, plywood and generators.
'Literally, they are filling buggies full of water, shopping carts full of water,' Ryan Deeck, grocery department manager at a Walmart, told The Sun News. 'They're coming in and buying water and plates, and that's about all they're buying.'
North Carolina crews were getting bulldozers and chain saws ready.
One person drowned on Sunday and two others were injured in dangerous surf conditions off Daytona Beach in Florida churned by Hurricane Florence
The governors of North and South Carolina and Virginia declared states of emergency far ahead of the approaching storm
In Jacksonville, North Carolina, about 20 miles inland, some residents picked up hurricane supplies during their normal weekend shopping, The Daily News reported. Ilija Cesal told the newspaper he wouldn't worry about buying extra water or other supplies for a few more days.
'I'll see by Wednesday how that goes - we got over 48 hours before that happens,' Cesal said.
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington, near the shore, canceled its upcoming alumni weekend and all classes starting at noon Monday, encouraging its students to leave campus for a safer location.
Florida-based Carnival Cruise Line re-routed its cruise ships, as did other companies including Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Oceania, according to USA Today.
The center also said that Hurricane Isaac, much farther out to sea, has become the 5th named hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic season.
Lining up behind Florence, Isaac was about 1,230 miles east of the Windward Islands with top winds of 75 mph early Monday, moving west at 13 mph. It should accelerate over the next 36 hours, but poses no threat to land at this time.
Heavy rain in the Washington area over the weekend had already led to flooding in historic Alexandria, Virginia
Many parts of the Washington, D.C area received up to three inches of rain prior to the arrival of Hurricane Florence
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/11/hurricane-florence-more-than-one-million-people-ordered-to-evacuate/
Main photo article Florence exploded into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane Monday as it closed in on North and South Carolina, carrying winds up to 130 mph and water that could wreak havoc over a wide stretch of the eastern United States later this week.
Communities along a stretch of coastline ...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/09/11/06/50047A1500000578-6150029-image-m-158_1536642861938.jpg
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