Hurricane Florence: Three dead as storm mauls Carolinas

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

Storm to 'hover over us for days'published at 16:36 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
The mayor of Wilmington, Bill Saffo, tells the BBC's Laura Trevelyan how Florence is having a "major impact".
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'Avoid the attic'published at 16:28 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
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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'Uninvited brute who doesn't want to leave': Governorpublished at 16:20 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
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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Powerlesspublished at 16:12 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
Almost half a million homes in North Carolina are without electricity, emergency officials say.
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'Life-threatening flood' warningpublished at 16:08 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
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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The view from spacepublished at 16:04 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
Nasa footage from the International Space Station show the hurricane as it made landfall.
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Motel full of 'Florence refugees'published at 15:56 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
Gill from Buckinghamshire, who has been holidaying in North Carolina, told the BBC 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."
'Worst storm in a lifetime'published at 15:47 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
The mayor of Wilmington, North Carolina, tells the BBC's Laura Trevelyan that Florence "is the worst storm he's seen in a lifetime".
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In Pictures: Rescuers fight against wind and waterpublished at 15:43 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Volunteers respond to calls of help around New Bern, North Carolina after heavy rains cause flooding
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
'Foolish to stay'published at 15:40 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
Lisa McLeod from Wilmington in North Carolina has moved 150 miles inland.
Resident Lisa McLeod told the BBC 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.
Scenes of devastationpublished at 15:36 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
Pictures from WTVD journalist Gary Cooper show the devastation in Wilmington, North Carolina.
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Curfew under way in New Bernpublished at 15:34 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
A curfew is in place in New Bern "until winds reside", local ABC reporter Julie Wilson says.
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Sweeping uppublished at 15:29 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
Residents and business owners in Wilmington, North Carolina, are sweeping up the debris from the landfall earlier today.
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Roofs blown offpublished at 15:26 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
North Carolina journalist Jeff Gravley has posted this photograph of the damage caused in a seaside area near Atlantic Beach.
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Second landfall 'likely'published at 15:25 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
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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Food for the troopspublished at 15:22 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
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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A knock-on effect?published at 15:19 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
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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'We're in for a long haul'published at 15:17 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
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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'Florence will transition into catastrophic flooding' - NWSpublished at 15:14 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
The hurricane will turn into "a Catastrophic Flooding-type event", the US National Weather Service predicted.
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'Turn around, don't drown'published at 15:11 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
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.