‘Life-threatening’ Hurricane Florence hits North Carolina
Hurricane Florence has hit the east cost of the US leaving a trail of destruction in its wake with homes hit by flooding and people left stranded.
The US National Weather Service said the flash flooding and storm surge was “life-threatening” and predicted it would last for days.
The storm reached Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina on Friday with recorded wind speeds of 90mph.
Read more: Hurricane Florence weakens but insurers braced for billion dollar losses
Winds then increased towards 100mph and US weather forecasters warned the state would see eight months of rain in the next two to three days.
Petrol stations have literally been blown away and buildings destroyed, while power outages have affected half a million homes.
Hurricane Florence makes landfall and looks to stick around https://t.co/QRHj7LNyn2 pic.twitter.com/nakG47WBwZ
— TIME (@TIME) September 14, 2018
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper told a news conference that whole communities "could be wiped away".
"This is an uninvited brute that just won't leave," he told NBC.
"Our garage door didn't make it": North Carolina resident shows impact of Hurricane #Florence on his Belhaven home as he surveys flooded surroundings. https://t.co/HDjcwx7F4O pic.twitter.com/vs9dJKGl6T
— ABC News (@ABC) September 14, 2018
US military personnel have begun evacuating people from their homes as the storm continues to pound the Carolina coastline.
Rising water levels have even brought dolphins swimming towards the shores.