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On Tuesday, September 11, 2018, Lewis Patrick of Wilmington queues to check on the New Hanover County Emergency Shelter at Trask Middle School in Wilmington, North Carolina.(Photo: Ken Ruinard, Greenville News via USA TODAY Network)
Florence is a category 4 mammoth storm with sustained winds of 130 mph. It is expected that it will reach the Carolinas early on Thursday night, and more than a million people have been ordered to evacuate the coastal areas.
"The latest models show a ridge building over the eastern United States, slowing Florence near our coast, stagnant, and then moving to South Carolina," said the National Weather Service in Wilmington, SC. North. "The impacts will always be felt far from the center of the storm, and there is still uncertainty about the magnitude of impacts in our area."
The office warned that Florence "will probably be the storm of a lifetime for portions of the Carolina coast".
The slowdown could mean 20 inches of rain or more in some areas, as well as a long period of high winds that could cut down trees and power lines.
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The storm, beginning at 8 am ET, was located about 530 miles southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, and was moving west to northwest at 17 mph. Florence is still expected to reach north or south Carolina. But the previous prediction had called for a northward movement.
"The NHC runway has been adjusted to the south … and further adjustment to the south could be justified in future warnings," said the National Hurricane Center on Wednesday.
Speaking of the unusual forecast trail, which shows a spin southward along the coast of South Carolina, weather station meteorologist Greg Postel said, "I have never seen anything like it.
The current runway could make a huge difference to the people of the metropolitan area of Washington, DC and the North. Alan Reppert, a senior meteorologist for AccuWeather, said the areas around Richmond, Virginia, could see 8 inches of rain. Washington, 100 miles north, could see only one inch.
Ryan Maue, a meteorological meteorologist who said Florence would dump about 10 trillion gallons of water on the Carolinas, called the forecast "weird" and said "forecasts after 72 hours are certainly a challenge … and a nightmare ". "
In North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper ordered an unprecedented evacuation of the state's barrier islands. Officials from Dare and Hyde Coast Counties ordered a mandatory evacuation for all: tourists and residents.
Exodus has slowed in some areas in the middle of heavy traffic and roads flooded by an early storm surge.
Donnie Shumate, the spokesman for Hyde County, warned residents to leave Ocracoke Island as soon as possible.
"Ocracoke has seen nothing new like the amount of storm surges this storm could bring," she said. "And Ocracoke went through a lot of hurricanes."
More than one million people living along the north and south coasts of Carolina and Virginia have been ordered to evacuate. In Wilmington, Melinda Chipley said it was the first mandatory evacuation that they have faced since she started living on the beach in 2001.
Hurricanes are "a part of life on the coast", although the preparations make them disturbing, stressful and tired, she said.
Her neighbor Lori Rosbrugh was also leaving after trying to protect her house with sandbags.
"I had a lot of fun filling 25 sandbags and taking them home and my husband said," Do you really think these sandbags will keep six feet of water out of the house? "I said," No, but I feel better. "I do not know if they do a lot if we take a direct hit.
Contributors: Daniel Gross, The Greenville News
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