By now everybody on the East Coast has heard of Hurricane Florence and how strong it could be. It has even been called the “Storm of a Lifetime” for the Carolinas and Virginia.
States have been preparing for the better part of a week to limit casualties and damages from 130+ mph wind and 40 inches of rain. In fact, Hurricane Florence -- "the Storm of a Lifetime" could potentially dump one trillion gallons of rain on North Carolina alone.
Over the course of this past week, the storm slowed down significantly and veered a bit farther south than projected, to hit Wilmington, North Carolina. The latest report has the storm shifting left slightly and going towards South Carolina and even part of Georgia (who declared a state of emergency Wednesday), which were not originally forecasted. As you can imagine, a hurricane slowing down is not a good thing because that means it will pound the coast for longer, dumping more rain. More rain means more flooding which can cause incalculable damage.
Courtesy of Twitter//Alexander Gerst
More than two million residents have been evacuated from coastal towns and cities ranging from Virginia to Georgia. The scene is getting frantic! Navy ships have left the ports, and traffic is backing up as people flee the storm.
Florence slowing down has pushed back the landfall to Friday afternoon (it was originally thought to be Thursday night into Friday). This is a blessing and a curse as it at least allows more people to evacuate the path of this powerful storm.
Courtesy of CNN
What should we do now? Well, it depends on where you are. Coastal towns most likely have been evacuated, but even if you’re farther inland you’re not out of the woods. Keep an eye on local flooding which will be a consistent problem with the storm predicted to hover over areas for 24-36 hours of consistent rainfall.
Do not drive through a flooded road! The age-old saying of “My car can make it” will get you into serious trouble and put you and first responders at risk if they need to come help you. Just turn around and find another road. Stock up on supplies before the storm; it may seem unnecessary and silly, but it's better than not having them for days or even a week.
Courtesy of AccuWeather
Last but not least, stay as informed as possible throughout the entirety of the storm. Make sure you have extra batteries and that your devices are charged. You want to be able to monitor what’s happening around you. Stay safe, and we will all ride out this hurricane together.
Have pictures or updates about what’s going on in your neck of the woods? How is the "Storm of a Lifetime" affecting you? Please share in the comments so everybody can see, or submit them to us here! Let us know you’re safe out there and what’s going on with the flooding, wind, or storm surge.
This is why we don't mess with hurricanes ...
