Grave warning for Carolinas as Michigan-sized ‘monster’ Hurricane Florence slows and changes path to promise flooding worse than Hurricane Harvey, up to four FEET of rain, a 13-foot storm surge and destruction that could cost $170 BILLION
Hurricane Florence remained a dangerous Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday with winds of 130mph
Storm is predicted to stall before hitting the Carolina coast and parts of Georgia with up to four feet of rain
Forecasters said hurricane-force winds will reach the US east coast late Thursday or early Friday
More than 1.7 million people were warned to evacuate and get out of the way of the ‘life-threatening’ storm
Rainfall predictions are expected to be higher because of the weakening wind speeds and parts of the Carolinas are bracing for flooding worse than Hurricane Harvey
FEMA warns the biggest danger is storm surge – a wall of water from the sea that could reach 13 feet high
North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland governors have declared states of emergency
Officials are already predicting the financial toll from the hurricane could reach $170 billion
American and Southwest Airlines were among those canceling flights to and from hurricane zone Wednesday
By EMILY CRANE and HANNAH PARRY
DAILYMAIL.COM
12 September 2018
Hurricane Florence’s path suddenly shifted overnight and is promising to bring even more devastation than first predicted to the Carolinas and parts of Georgia – with the Michigan-sized storm now set to linger for days and cause catastrophic flooding due to four feet of rain and 13-foot storm surges.
Florence remained a dangerous Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday morning after slowing slightly to 130mph overnight and it is predicted to stall even more before scraping down the US east coast and moving inland before the weekend.
The new trajectory means the storm will idle at sea for longer, creating even heavier and prolonged rains and storm surges for the Carolinas and possibly northern parts of Georgia.
At least 25 million residents are at risk from the storm and experts predict its current path could cause up to $170 billion worth of damage, hit up to 759,000 homes and businesses and become the costliest to ever hit the U.S.
Hurricane-force winds will reach the Carolina coasts late Thursday or early Friday and more than 1.7 million people were warned to evacuate and get out of the way of the ‘life-threatening’ storm’s path.
‘This storm is a monster. It’s big and it’s vicious. It is an extremely, dangerous, life-threatening, historic hurricane,’ said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. ‘The waves and the wind this storm may bring is nothing like you’ve ever seen. Even if you’ve ridden out storms before, this one is different. Don’t bet your life on riding out a monster.’
Wave heights reached 83 feet high on Wednesday underneath the hurricane.
Rainfall predictions are expected to be higher because of the weakening wind speeds and parts of North Carolina are bracing for more than 40 inches of rain, which is similar to the catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston last year.
The Rest…HERE
