Gov. McMaster to order mandatory evacuations for SC coastal counties

“We’ve just been overwhelmed with requests by state agencies and everybody else”, he said. Its center will move between Bermuda and the Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday, and approach the coast of SC or North Carolina on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said. He estimated that about one million people will be affected by order, including residents and visitors.

“Never have we seen quite this type of a storm approach us”. “We’ll handle it. We’re ready, we’re able”.

Authorities anxious about the storm’s potential to unleash prolonged torrential rains and widespread flooding across several states, especially if it lingers inland for several days.

North and SC and Virginia have already declared states of emergency, and officials have begun evacuations in North Carolina. “All of those rivers in our area could potentially see significant flooding”.

On its current track, Florence is expected to slam South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia the hardest. Governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, said: “The time to prepare is nearly over, Disaster is at the doorstep and it’s coming in”.

“Additional strengthening is expected over the next day or two”, the NHC said, but it noted that the storm will likely weaken as it approaches the Lesser Antilles.

As of 5 p.m. Monday, Florence was tracking west-northwest at 11 miles per hour just less than 1,200 miles east-southeast from Cape Fear, N.C.

High pressure was expected to block Florence over the weekend, stalling the system over the east coast and allowing for heavy rainfall over the mid-Atlantic.

Swells from the storm are already reaching Bermuda and parts of the USA coast. Emergency declarations were issued by the governors in both states, as well as in Virginia and Maryland.

“It appears a major flood event is on the way in the Middle Atlantic region”, meteorologist Mike Smith said.

Farther to the east, Hurricane Helene is now a Category 2 storm, but it’s expected to curve harmlessly northward and weaken in the central Atlantic.

Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesman, Col. Robert Manning said, “Northern Command is spending an advanced team to the emergency operations center in Raleigh, North Carolina Monday to conduct an assessment and coordinate with federal and state partners”.

It’s important to note that there is a chance that Florence will miss this area altogether and stay in North Carolina-but it’s not the likeliest scenario by a long shot, according to Capital Weather Gang. And right now, the bull’s eye is our city, Wilmington.

“I’m telling them to go inland, but I’m anxious about the rain and tornadoes too”, Roberts said. “I would say everybody should get out”. Well-built framed homes may incur major damage, and many trees will be snapped or uprooted, blocking numerous roads, the hurricane center said.

Given the uncertainty and time it takes to evacuate, officials in North Carolina have issued mandatory evacuation orders for Dare County and Hatteras Island.

Residents of coastal areas are boarding up homes and packing their bags as residents brace for Florence’s wrath.

If Florence comes ashore as a Category 3 or 4 hurricane, then damaging winds and power outages may extend inland more than 100 miles and northward along the coast by 200 miles or more.

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.