Florence storms start to hit the Carolina coast

Florence storms start to hit the Carolina coast

Thousands of homes experiencing power cuts and sea water began to inundate a number of roads on the east coast of the US when Florence Storm began to hit the area.

Hurricane Florence, which has been named the strongest in the states of North and South Carolina for nearly 30 years, is moving towards land with wind speeds of 150 kilometers per hour.

Local officials warned that Florence's 'monster storm' could endanger the lives of "many people" and risk causing flash floods.

A resident of New Bern, North Carolina boarded an emergency boat after the water on the Neuse River which overflowed due to Florence's storm, Thursday (9/9/2018) night.

The relevant authorities have ordered at least one million people to flee to areas considered safe.

The Governor of North Carolina, which was the first area affected by the storm, said the presence of the storm would be a test of endurance, teamwork, common sense, and patience of all citizens.

"The storm began to attack us, but there are still days to come," said Governor Roy Cooper

It is estimated that the North Carolina region will be hit by wind for eight months marked by rain every two or three days.

Why is Florence's storm dangerous?

Conditions began to deteriorate throughout Thursday (09/13/2018). Several areas in North Carolina were rained by rain that lasted several hours and sea water spilled into the land.

At 11:00 p.m. local time, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the wind speed had slightly decreased, so the storm hazard category dropped to level one.

The NHC said that even though wind power declined gradually, this storm remained very dangerous due to the high volume of rainfall and strong gusts of wind.

"The floods that hit land have killed many people, and unfortunately, that is what we will witness," said Brock Long, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).

He said residents living near rivers, rivers and lowlands in the region were the most at risk.

The latest weather forecast shows, the storm slowed to almost stop after "heavy rain" struck from Thursday night to next Saturday.

Wind speed is expected to weaken on Saturday, because the storm moves slowly as it crosses the land.

How bad is the impact of the Florence storm?

Meteorologists have warned that flooding might rise up to four meters in some areas.

Some parts of the Carolina coast will likely be hit by rain with a volume of 50-75 cm.

More than 100,000 homes have experienced power cuts, but electricity companies have warned that up to three million homes and business areas will likely not get electricity.

Officials warned that recovery of electricity could take days or even weeks.

Meanwhile, a number of gas stations in certain areas of North Carolina began to experience a supply shortage.

More than 1,400 flights have been canceled, according to FlightAware.com, because most airports are flooded by storms.

SAR teams from other states have arrived to help with evacuation efforts.

More than one million people have been ordered to leave the coasts of Carolina and Virginia.

In addition, more than 12,000 people have reportedly sought refuge in emergency shelters.

source: kompas.com