These Photos Of Hurricane Florence Making Landfall Show The Power Of This Storm
Hurricane Florence made landfall on Friday, Sept. 14, spreading pouring rain and strong winds into the Carolinas. Already, this storm has been nothing short of a horrifying experience, as the massive hurricane is already destroying homes, has knocked out power for thousands of people, and flooded communities. If you're not in the storm's path, the photos of Hurricane Florence paint a picture of what this hurricane is doing to those caught in its path.
According to Vox, more than 1.4 million people had been ordered to evacuate from the coastlines of North and South Carolina, as well as certain parts of Virginia. But despite the dire forecast, there are some people who decided to stay behind and ride it out, including many who couldn't afford to evacuate. Now, with the monstrous storm hanging over the coast of North Carolina, some are taking to social media to document what's going on, showing some of the most serious effects of the life-threatening storm.
Several videos shared to Twitter highlight the enormous storm surge and heavy flooding throughout North Carolina coastal communities.
USA Today shared a time lapse video that shows Hurricane Florence's winds shredding an American flag atop the state's Frying Pan Tower before the storm had even made landfall.
Rescuers have been evacuating people away from the rising waters. According to CBS News, roughly 100 people were waiting to be rescued in the early hours of Sept. 14.
According to USA Today, as of 10:30 a.m. ET on Sept. 14, more than 600,000 people are without electricity, with numbers expected to rise as the storm continues to strike vulnerable areas.
Florence weakened from a Category 4 to a Category 1 hurricane before it made landfall on Sept. 14, but North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has warned residents to continue taking the threat seriously. "The worst of the storm is not yet here but these are early warnings of the days to come," he said, according to CBS News. "Surviving this storm will be a test of endurance, teamwork, common sense and patience." Cooper also said parts of North Carolina had seen storm surges as high as 10 feet, per ABC7.
Meteorologist Ryan Maue of weathermodels.com echoed Cooper's warning. He calculated that Florence will dump 18 trillion gallons of rain in seven days over the Carolinas, Virginia, George, Tennessee, Kentucky and Maryland. That's as much water as there is in the entire Chesapeake Bay, according to ABC News.
Though Florence is expected to linger and continue dumping rain over the next few days, FEMA Associate Administrator Jeffrey Byard attempted to quell some of the concerns surrounding the storm, telling All Things Considered host Audie Cornish on Sept. 13 that the agency has been working closely with the states and is "well positioned and ready to respond to the needs of our citizens."
There's no telling what the final impact of Florence will be. But in the meantime, to anyone in the affected areas: please try to stay safe. Hopefully, this thing will be over sooner rather than later.
