ABC News(CHARLESTON, S.C.) — Hurricane Florence, a powerful Category 3 storm, is closing in on the Southeast, bringing threatening winds, a high storm surge and tons of rain.
Florence is expected to bring catastrophic flooding and may dump as much as 40 inches of rain in North Carolina alone.
Here’s the latest timeline:
— Overnight the storm shifted south. The coast of the Carolinas will begin to feel Florence’s wrath Wednesday night or Thursday morning with gusty winds and increasing surf.
— Tornadoes are possible as the storm meanders near or over the Carolinas.
— Florence is forecast to stall near the South Carolina/North Carolina coastline into Friday night and then drift towards Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Florence will likely weaken to a Category 1 storm Friday or Saturday.
— Where the storm ultimately makes landfall is irrelevant. The impact will still be extreme for the Southeast.
— Hurricane conditions are expected late Thursday night into Saturday morning.
— Winds could exceed 80 mph from Thursday to Saturday.
— The life-threatening rain may last for days, flooding tens of thousands of structures, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday.
— Storm surge is also a major concern, potentially reaching 13 feet in parts of North Carolina.
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