Hurricane Florence gains strength as Category 4 storm, targeting the US east coast: NPR

Updated at 19:18 ET

Hurricane Florence gains momentum and strength as it heads for the southeastern United States. The National Hurricane Center plans to "further strengthen" the storm and says it should touch the land like an "extremely dangerous hurricane".

Although there was no coastal surveillance or warning at the end of the afternoon, the hurricane center announced that storm surges and hurricanes could be issued for parts of southeast and central shoreline Tuesday morning.

The waves generated by the hurricane are already affecting parts of the east coast and Bermuda. The center said the powerful waves are likely to cause potentially deadly surf and tear conditions. In addition, it is expected that Florence, more than 1,100 miles from Cape Fear, North Carolina, will have potentially life-threatening effects on North Carolina and neighboring states this weekend.

Compulsory evacuation orders have been issued by the governors of North Carolina and South Carolina and Virginia for coastal areas.

The storm quickly strengthened on Monday and at noon, it was reclassified into Category 4 hurricane category, reaching this status a day earlier than expected by experts. The hurricane center cited data from a NOAA aircraft against Hurricane Hunter, which showed that Florence was intensifying rapidly, with sustained maximum winds reaching 140 mph.

In a previous update, authorities said the Florence winds could reach 150 mph over the next 36 hours. The storm is already 500 miles wide, which means that a large area will be threatened near the land.

The impacts of the hurricane could range from a strong storm surge to floods due to torrential rains and hurricane force winds. Forecasters warn that the planned runway is likely to change, but for the moment, it is showing the strong hurricane on the North Carolina coast, with a potential landing north of Wilmington.

Once it has landed, Florence is expected to yield and stay on top of North Carolina for at least 24 hours – increasing the threat of dangerous flooding, NHC Director Ken said Monday. Graham. Even in remote areas of the coast, he added, parts of North Carolina and Virginia could see rainfall of 10 to 15 inches over the next seven days.

From 5 pm ET, Florence was moving at 13 mph, about 525 miles south-southeast of Bermuda, the hurricane center said.

Approaching the Atlantic coast of the United States, Florence will also benefit from "hot" sea surface temperatures of up to 85 degrees, the National Hurricane Center said.

As meteorologist Stu Ostro of The Weather Channel reports via TwitterSince 1851, only four Category 4 hurricanes have landed in North Florida on the east coast. The most northerly arrival was made by Hazel, a devastating and deadly storm that hit near the border between South Carolina and North Carolina in October 1954.

Forecasters say Florence will spend Tuesday and Wednesday between Bermuda and the Bahamas and begin its approach to the United States on Thursday morning. Tropical Storm winds from the Great Storm are expected to begin reaching the Carolinas coast on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said.

As the danger became evident over the weekend, the governors of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia all declared the state of emergency. They urged residents to fortify homes and collect supplies.

The US Navy is also taking precautions, as US Fleet Command has ordered nearly 30 ships in the Hampton Roads area off the coast of Virginia to set sail to avoid the storm. Vessels that can not leave the port will be prepared by various means, from adding mooring lines and storm lines to abandoning anchors and disconnecting shore power cables.

Florence is currently projecting hurricane force winds (74 mph and more) up to 30 miles from its center. Forecasters say that because of the magnitude of the storm, the winds will be devastating.

In addition to a storm surge and winds, the National Hurricane Center says:

"Potentially lethal freshwater floods are likely due to prolonged and heavy rains, which can extend for hundreds of kilometers inland from the Carolinas and the Atlantic, then that Florence should slow down as the coast approaches and move inland. "

Florence is one of three hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean, with Helen and Isaac. Of the two other storms, which remain far from the land, Isaac presents the most immediate risk. With 75 mph winds, it should strengthen a bit before weakening as the West Indies approaches Thursday.

Dangerous storms also threaten parts of the United States in the Pacific Ocean. Most of the state of Hawaii was watching a thunderstorm or tropical storm on Monday morning as Hurricane Olivia headed west with winds of 85 km / h.

Olivia could weaken under a strong tropical storm within 48 hours, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu. But forecasters say residents must always be wary of floods and dangerous winds.

In Guam, typhoon Mangkhut – a Category 4 storm – has just missed a direct hit on the island.