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Tropical storm Florence has moved closer to the east coast overnight and is expected to hit hurricane Sunday, which could become a major hurricane later, forecasters said Saturday.
The imminent storm has prompted North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper to declare the state of emergency a step that makes resources available to counter the effects of the storm.
In a Saturday update at 5 am, the National Hurricane Center placed the storm southeast of Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. He was moving west at 9 mph.
The storm was expected to bring heavy rains, dangerous surf currents and tear currents to North Carolina, where Cooper urged locals, especially farmers, to get ready.
"While it's still too early to know the way of the storm, we know we have to be ready," Cooper said in a press release. "During the harvest, time is running out. The action of today can avoid the losses due to Florence. "
Cooper has signed a transportation exemption that would allow farmers to harvest and transport their crops faster.
"The decree will help to bring together and move crops in and across the state more easily and quickly in response to problems that may be caused by tropical storm Florence in North Carolina and along the east coast," he said. said the governor.
Cooper said emergency managers were working with local and federal officials to prepare for Florence's "possible impacts."
"We are entering the peak of the hurricane season and we know the unpredictability and power of these storms," Cooper said.
Similarly, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division advised residents to begin developing contingency plans.
"The risk of other direct impacts associated with Florence along the US East Coast next week has increased, but there is still a great deal of uncertainty in the Florence model's forecasts beyond the day (five). which makes the scale and timing of these impacts too early, "wrote Hurricane expert Robbie Berg in a forecast opinion.
Forecasters said it was too early to tell where Florence would go. Some prediction models indicated that the storm was hitting the ground late next week, while others indicate that it would be moving away from the wound. The storm reached a major hurricane status Wednesday, peaking with sustained maximum winds of 130 mph.
Meanwhile, a new tropical storm, "Helen", has formed in the eastern Atlantic, off the west coast of Africa. The National Hurricane Center said Friday night that Helene was about 405 miles east of the southern Cabo Verde Islands. The maximum winds sustained by the storm were 40 mph and they were moving west at 12 mph.
"As we are near the peak of the hurricane season, it's a good time for anyone living in a hurricane-prone area to make sure their hurricane plan is in place," he said. said David Zelinsky, hurricane specialist.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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