Unseasonable warmth, snow and hurricane Florence

On the forecast track, the center of Florence will approach the coasts of North and SC later today, then move near or over the coast of southern North Carolina and northeastern SC in the hurricane warning area tonight and Friday.

Hurricane Florence’s leading edge battered the Carolina coast Thursday, bending trees and shooting frothy sea water over streets on the Outer Banks, as the hulking storm closed in with 105 miles per hour winds for a drenching siege that could last all weekend.

“It’s getting late to evacuate”, said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. Trump also approved a federal emergency declaration for Virginia.

“This means more people, structures and land will be subject to the risky winds”, Miller said. Florence’s center will approach the North and SC coasts late Thursday and Friday.

“This is a life-threatening situation”, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Wilmington, North Carolina, said on Thursday morning.

A woman died from cardiac arrest in the town of Hampstead after emergency responders had their route to her blocked by downed trees, a county official said.

USA television networks said 7pm to 7am curfews had been put in place in several towns surrounding Myrtle Beach.

Parts of North Carolina are forecast to see maximum sustained winds of up to 110 miles per hour and receive as much as 40 inches of rain, which could lead to historic flooding, forecasters said.

Around the same time Florence makes landfall, the steering winds pushing it forward will die down.

Adding to concerns, forecasters warned the larger and slow-moving storm could linger for days around the coast, leaving many without power and supplies.

The storm is expected to bring a life-threatening storm surge and heavy rainfall to parts of the Carolinas with widespread flooding expected.

“Catastrophic flash flooding and prolonged significant river flooding are likely” in the areas of the Carolinas and southern-central Appalachians throughout the next week, the Hurricane Center warns.

Eduardo Corta cuts plywood boards to put on his mobile home a day before the arrival of Hurricane Florence in Wilmington, North Carolina.

With a storm surge warning in effect, the authorities urge people to prepare themselves for the disaster.

Long said the danger was not only along the coast. “I hope we don’t but that might be the only thing that would affect us”, James said.

This enhanced satellite image made available by NOAA shows Hurricane Florence off the eastern coast of the United States on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018 at 5:52 p.m. EDT. The core is also about 60 miles east-southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina. Other residents have told CNN they’re not evacuating because emergency shelters won’t accept pets.

Gradually, Friday through the weekend (local time), the massive storm – containing a zone of tropical-storm-force winds almost 643km wide – will drift inland, engulfing much of SC and southern North Carolina.

Nearly 800,000 people are reported to be without power already in North Carolina, and officials have warned restoring electricity could take days or even weeks. “The infrastructure is going to break, the power is going to go out”.

“Promptly follow evacuation and other instructions from local officials…”