Hurricane Florence has arrived in the US, thrashing the East Coast with torrential rain, high winds, and massive floods.
The hurricane’s center made landfall at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, at 7:15 a.m. ET Friday morning.
Winds up to 80 mph are lashing the coast, and a storm surge of up to 11 feet is expected in some areas, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm could drop up to 40 inches of rain, causing “catastrophic” floods and a “life-threatening” situation, the NHC said.
So far, floods as deep as 6.3 feet and wind gusts as fast as 105 mph have been recorded.
Almost 300,000 people in North Carolina and South Carolina have lost power, with power companies expecting millions more to do so.
One hundred and fifty people in New Bern, North Carolina, are also trapped and awaiting government assistance.
Scroll down to see what the hurricane’s impact looks like on the ground.
Hurricanes form over warm ocean water.
This was Wilmington, North Carolina, as the most ferocious part of the storm passed over on Friday morning.
The canopy of this BP petrol station in Topsail Beach, NC, was completely blown away.
This video, taken in Belhaven, NC on Thursday, shows water levels from the Pungo River reaching as high as people’s windows.
Journalists reporting on the hurricane were also lashed by the winds and rain.
Water from the Neuse River has toppled the banks and swallowed up multiple streets in New Bern, North Carolina.
New Bern has been hit hard. As of 3:30 a.m. local time Friday, some 150 people in the city were trapped and waiting for help.
Read more: Hurricane Florence has 150 trapped, stranded as flood waters swallow small North Carolina town
This basketball court in New Bern was completely flooded.
Floods around the city have come up to people’s hips.
Michael Nelson, who lives in New Bern, is floating in a makeshift boat of metal tub and fishing floats after the Neuse River flooded his street.
You can see his makeshift boat a little clearer here as he wades through his street late Thursday night.
Some people are evacuating their houses. This man loads his belongings in his car as he evacuates his house in New Bern.
On Friday morning, residents of New Bern took to the streets to survey the damage.
On Thursday evening, a newsroom in New Bern was evacuated while reporters were live on air.
Source: Business Insider
Landmarks around the town were also destroyed or knocked over, like this bear statue.
Floodwaters in New Bern’s downtown area inundated many homes and storefronts.
Nearby towns, like Swansboro, also contended with rapidly rising floodwaters on Friday morning.
In Wilmington, residents contended with fallen trees, crushed roofs, and other damage on Friday.
People around the state are taking shelter. As of Friday morning, some 12,000 North Carolinians have gone to stay in shelters as they brace for Florence to make landfall.
At least 300,000 people are without power in North Carolina and South Carolina. Power companies expect millions more to lose power, and say restoration could take weeks.
Source: WRAL-TV
The armed forces are also on hand to help out.
The Alaska Air National Guard has also sent pararescuers to help out. Here they are waiting to be dispatched earlier this week.
Rescuers also aided their non-human friends in the path of the hurricane’s destruction. Here, zookeepers from a South Carolina zoo corral flamingos into a safe shelter.
Store owners have boarded up their windows and left sandbags in front of door frames to limit the damage.
The storm is expected to stick around the Carolinas until Sunday. It will be a long time before all the damage can be surveyed.
SEE ALSO:
A North Carolina newsroom was evacuated while reporters were live on air covering Hurricane Florence
Source: Read Full Article