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Summary

  • Wind and rain are whipping North Carolina's coast, after the storm made landfall

  • Authorities have confirmed at least three deaths linked to the storm

  • Evacuation warnings are in place for up to 1.7 million people across South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia

  • Eight months' worth of rain is expected to fall in three days

  • Serious flooding is still expected even though it has been downgraded to a tropical storm with 70mph (110km/h) winds

Live Reporting

Ritu Prasad

  1. Storm to 'hover over us for days'

    The mayor of Wilmington, Bill Saffo, tells the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Laura Trevelyan how Florence is having a "major impact".

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  2. 'Avoid the attic'

    The city of New Bern in North Carolina, where around 150 people are trapped in their houses by flooding, is urging people to avoid taking refuge in their attics because of the risk of being left without air.

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  3. 'Uninvited brute who doesn't want to leave': Governor

    North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has warned residents relentless rain will continue through the weekend.

    "Rivers are rising to dangerous levels," he said. In one area, he added, a once-in-millennium rain event is expected.

    "Stay indoors, don't drive through water, don't use a generator indoors, don't fly drones."

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  4. Powerless

    Almost half a million homes in North Carolina are without electricity, emergency officials say.

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  5. 'Life-threatening flood' warning

    The National Weather Service urges people in the Carolinas to make sure they will get multiple warnings about flash floods and storm surges.

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  6. The view from space

    Nasa footage from the International Space Station show the hurricane as it made landfall.

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  7. Motel full of 'Florence refugees'

    Gill from Buckinghamshire, who has been holidaying in North Carolina, told the ´óÏó´«Ã½ that she had changed her plans after hearing about the evacuations.

    She was due to drive down the coast to Charleston, South Carolina. Instead, she travelled inland to Mocksville, North Carolina, well away from the Atlantic.

    Gill said her motel was full of "Florence refugees".

    "Their cars are crammed with every possession they could fit in, they have no idea how long they will have to be here or what they will have to go back to.

    "They are exercising their pets in the car park and watching the weather forecast constantly."

  8. 'Worst storm in a lifetime'

    The mayor of Wilmington, North Carolina, tells the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Laura Trevelyan that Florence "is the worst storm he's seen in a lifetime".

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  9. In Pictures: Rescuers fight against wind and water

    Volunteers from the Civilian Crisis Response Team help rescue three children from their flooded homeGetty Images

    Volunteers respond to calls of help around New Bern, North Carolina after heavy rains cause flooding

    Rescue workers from Township No. 7 Fire Department and volunteers from the Civilian Crisis Response Team use a truck to move people rescued from their flooded homesGetty Images
    Rescue workers from Township No. 7 Fire Department and volunteers from the Civilian Crisis Response Team use a boat to rescue a woman and her dog from their flooded home during Hurricane Florence September 14, 2018 in James CityGetty Images

  10. 'Foolish to stay'

    Lisa McLeod from Wilmington in North Carolina has moved 150 miles inland.

    Resident Lisa McLeod told the ´óÏó´«Ã½ that she had planned to stay at home but decided to move after the path of Florence became more certain.

    "I’ve spent a decade in North Carolina and this is the largest storm we’ve had that’s coming straight for us. It would have been foolish to stay," she said.

    "I’ve got an app which monitors my home and I know the power went out at 06:00 (10:00 GMT) this morning. Hopefully that will only be for a couple of days."

    The 61-year-old has been staying at a hotel in Durham, South Carolina since Wednesday.

  11. Scenes of devastation

    Pictures from WTVD journalist Gary Cooper show the devastation in Wilmington, North Carolina.

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  12. Curfew under way in New Bern

    A curfew is in place in New Bern "until winds reside", local ABC reporter Julie Wilson says.

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  13. Sweeping up

    Residents and business owners in Wilmington, North Carolina, are sweeping up the debris from the landfall earlier today.

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  14. Roofs blown off

    North Carolina journalist Jeff Gravley has posted this photograph of the damage caused in a seaside area near Atlantic Beach.

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  15. Second landfall 'likely'

    Florence could hit the US coast for a second time, a local meteorologist says.

    Radar images show the eye of the hurricane is now back out to sea - making it likely that a second landfall will increase storm surges on South Carolina's shoreline.

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  16. Food for the troops

    United Service Organizations, a support group for members of the armed forces, is sending supplies to the South Carolina National Guard, which is involved in rescue efforts.

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  17. A knock-on effect?

    Florence could affect states beyond the Carolinas.

    The National Weather Service is warning of potential flash floods in Virginia and West Virginia next week.

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  18. 'We're in for a long haul'

    About 20,000 North Carolina residents are housed in shelters and 400,000 people are without power, the state's governor told reporters.

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  19. 'Florence will transition into catastrophic flooding' - NWS

    The hurricane will turn into "a Catastrophic Flooding-type event", the US National Weather Service predicted.

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  20. 'Turn around, don't drown'

    Officials have repeated their warning of up to 40 inches (1m) of rain and sustained winds of 90mph (145km/h).

    A spokesman from the Federal Emergency Management Agency said residents should not drive: "Turn around, don't drown."

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    Recalling hurricanes Dennis and Floyd that hit the region in 1999, he said those storms brought the same amount of rainfall in 14 days. "This time it will be in three days," the official warned.