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Florence regained the strength of its hurricane Sunday and the massive storm could threaten the East Coast later this week.
USA TODAY & # 39; HUI

Hurricane Florence, September 9th(Photo: Alejandro Gonzalez)

Florence strengthened in a Category 2 hurricane on Monday and continued her slow but furious dance to the US East Coast as locals prepared for the worst.

The National Hurricane Center said the storm should continue to strengthen during the day. The center of Florence should sweep Tuesday and Wednesday between Bermuda and the Bahamas before storming the southeast coast, now targeting North Carolina and South Carolina sometime Thursday.

"Florence is expected to become a major hurricane this morning and is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane until Thursday," warned the hurricane center.

The hurricane center warned that the swell is likely to cause surf conditions and current "life-threatening" conditions. On the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Dare County Emergency Officers have warned that rough seas and strong rip currents are already creating dangerous conditions.

"In red, no flags are swimming and everyone must stay out of the water," said Dare County Emergency Management Director Drew Pearson.

Satellite imagery indicated that sustained maximum winds reached near 105 km / h with higher gusts. A "major hurricane" is a hurricane with sustained winds of more than 110 mph.

Any category 3, 4 or 5 hurricane is classified as a major hurricane.

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AccuWeather meteorologist Brett Rossi said the soil of North and South Carolina and Virginia is already saturated with recent rains. The rivers are high and the storm will move slowly when it arrives, which will worsen the situation, Rossi told USA DAY.

"It's a very scary rain event that could set up this week," Rossi said. "Florence could dump a foot of rain in places that can not stand it, creating a very scary flood situation in some areas."

Parts of the Carolinas could see up to 20 inches of rain from Florence, said the National Weather Service, which would result in a flood of the river "that could last days or weeks" after the storm. The Weather Channel warned of a "disastrous" flood level for some parts of the area.

The destruction of the force of the storm by the hurricane center indicates that Category 3 storms can cause "devastating" destruction. The center warns that houses can be damaged, trees uprooted and that electricity and water can be destroyed for days or weeks.

The Navy said all ships in the coastal area of ​​Hampton Roads, Virginia, were preparing to leave the port on Monday for an open sea. Admiral Christopher Grady said that ships can better withstand "storms of this magnitude when they are underway".

Emergency management officials in South Carolina said they "were preparing for the eventuality of a large-scale disaster."

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Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina declared the state of emergency before the storm. Governor Ralph Northam said the Virginia National Guard, the Virginia State Police and other state agencies had already begun preparations.

"It's time for your family to prepare and stay tuned for more updates," said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. "Plan for the worst, pray for the best."

Florence is now one of three hurricanes that turn in the Atlantic Ocean, with Helen and Isaac. While Helene is expected to disappear from the earth, Isaac is a real threat to the Caribbean later this week, the hurricane center said.

In addition, in the Pacific Ocean, hurricane Olivia is expected to approach Hawaii as a tropical storm on Tuesday.

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