Updated on Sep 17, 2018: Florence weakens further, threat comes to an end
Florence has wreaked enough havoc over the United States and is now hanging around as a depression. The system is now likely to shift a little north and the recurve towards the northeast going into the North Atlantic Ocean once again but this time over the higher latitudes as a low pressure area. During the next 48 hours, the system will maintain its hold over the landmass before moving into the ocean.
Updated on September 16, 17:06 - After killing 13 people, Florence weakens; flash flooding to continue
Hurricane Florence has now weakened to a tropical depression. Despite its weakening, a powerful mix of wind and rain on the Carolinas has still not stopped and has led killing at least 13 people till now.
It has wiped out power, about 760,000 customers are without power in North Carolina and in South Carolina, some 36,000 customers.
It has trapped people in flooded homes, with citizen swift-water rescue teams from out of state joining local emergency professionals to try to bring them to safety.
By storm's end, up to 40 inches of rain will have fallen in parts of North Carolina and far northeastern South Carolina.
Updated on September 15, 10:56 - Hurricane Florence – 5 deaths in North Carolina, rains likely to continue, flooding may worsen
Tropical Storm Florence is continuing to batter the Carolinas since Friday evening with fierce winds, driving rain and catastrophic flooding. Even though it has downgraded from hurricane strength after making landfall, the storm had killed at least five people till now. Among the dead was a mother and her infant child, who were killed after a tree fell on their house.
In New Bern, a small city that sits at the confluence of two rivers, more than 360 residents have been taken to safety and 140 more still stuck.
Further also, the rains are expected to continue for days, and flooding is likely to worsen. The forecasters have also warned that the expected rainfall could reach up to 40 inches and the storm is expected to slowly move southwest into South Carolina before turning north.
Updated at 7:45 PM, (IST): Hurricane Florence has made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, which lies east of the city of Wilmington in North Carolina as a Category 1 Hurricane at 7:15 AM EDT packing winds of 150 kmph. The emergency rescue teams were on their foot trying to reach scores of residents who were trapped at their roofs, attics and even their cars after Neuse River breached its banks.
Rains are expected to be quite a real hazard from the storm, as it will have a slow movement towards South Carolina before it turns north.
200 people have been rescued from homes in New Bern, while another 150 were trapped on Friday morning.
Published on Sep 14, 2018 01:30 Pm (IST): Hurricane Florence is all set to pound hefty rainfall over the Carolinas and Virginia as it is likely to make landfall in the next 6 to 8 hours. Florence is nearing the coast and is currently a Cat 2 Hurricane. Currently, Florence is 34.2°N and 77.2°W and is about 45 km east of Wilmington, North Carolina and 80 km southwest of Morehead City, North Carolina, moving in a west-northwest direction at the speed of 9 km per hour. The maximum wind speed may reach over 150 kmph at the time of landfall as well.
The peripherals of the system i.e. the spiral clouds of the forward sector have already reached the coastline, rainfall has become very hefty over the region with inundation of 6.3 feet reported due to the storm surge at Emerald of Isle, North Carolina. Pamlico Sound have seen elevated water levels. Waters will rise further as tides are expected to come back.
Hurricane Florence is expected to weaken now, reason being it coming close to the coast along with low sea surface temperatures, wind shear along with entrainment. The system is likely to weaken and strike as a Category 1 Hurricane as the winds have also weakened in strength a little as has been reported by the National Hurricane Center.
However, rains will still be life threatening over North Carolina, South Carolina along with Virginia. Moreover, the Carolinas have not seen such a storm since the 1980s. Hurricane Florence will get a flat ground after its landfall for several miles which will further enhance the damaging capabilities of the Hurricane. Not only this, for the next 36 hours, Florence will not just slow down but also stall for a while.
At least a foot of rain has already occurred even before the landfall with inundations along with some parts observing power outages. When the system makes landfall, it is expected to bring catastrophic rains, ferocious winds, and life-threatening storm surge. Not only this, Florence has the potential of causing widespread damage to life and property.
Image Credit: NHC
Please Note: Any information picked from here must be attributed to skymetweather.com
