Hurricane Florence rapidly strengthened into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane today as it closed in on North and South Carolina, carrying winds and water that could wreak havoc over a wide stretch of the eastern United States later this week.
South Carolina ordered the state’s entire coastline, which includes an estimated one million residents, to be evacuated starting at noon on Tuesday. In North Carolina, officials had already ordered some 250,000 residents and visitors to begin evacuating the Outer Banks barrier islands.
Florence has winds of 130 miles per hour and is due to gain strength before making landfall early Thursday, bringing heavy rain that could cause severe flooding through the region.
‘Further strengthening is anticipated, and Florence is expected to be an extremely dangerous major hurricane through Thursday,’ the National Hurricane Center said.
South Carolina’s emergency management agency said it was already “preparing for the possibility of a large-scale disaster.”
President Trump on Monday in a pair of tweets urged the public to heed the warnings of state and local officials ahead of Hurricane Florence’s projected landfall and said the federal government is taking steps “to respond accordingly.”
“The Storms in the Atlantic are very dangerous,” Trump tweeted. “We encourage anyone in the path of these storms to prepare themselves and to heed the warnings of State and Local officials. The Federal Government is closely monitoring and ready to assist. We are with you!”
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued the evacuation order on Monday for all eight counties along the coast, including: Jasper, Beaufort, Colleton, Charleston, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry, and Berkeley.
“We do not want to risk one South Carolina life in this hurricane,” McMaster said.
He said storm surge could reach as high as 10 feet and estimated that one million residents would be leaving the coast. Eastbound lanes of Interstate 26 heading into Charleston and U.S. 501 heading into Myrtle Beach will be reversed when the order takes effect.
McMaster, as well as the governors of North Carolina and Virginia. had already declared states of emergency.
‘Now is the time for your family also to prepare and stay tuned for more updates,’ McMaster said earlier. ‘Plan for the worst, pray for the best.’