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

Hurricane Florence makes landfallpublished at 12:44 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
Breaking
Hurricane Florence has made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, the National Hurricane Center reports.
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90mph winds as Hurricane Florence hits Wilmingtonpublished at 12:40 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
BBC Journalist Pia Talbot films the scene in Wilminghton, North Carolina, as the eyewall of Hurricane Florence hits.
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Eye of hurricane 'about to make landfall'published at 12:30 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
The National Hurricane Center says the middle of the eye of Hurricane Florence is about to make landfall near Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina.
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Tornado alert issued in North Carolinapublished at 12:22 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
Parts of the state have been put on notice until 1700 local time (2100 GMT).
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Hurricane Florence at the gates of Wilmingtonpublished at 12:14 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
Heavy rain is lashing down on the city of Wilmington, North Carolina.
A reporter for Fox 46 caught the impact as the city woke to find Hurricane Florence nearing its doorstep.
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Power cuts worsening: Over 300,000 affectedpublished at 12:10 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
More than 300,000 people are now without power in North Carolina, a WRAL reporter has tweeted.
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Reports of looting in hurricane areapublished at 12:02 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
Several people have been arrested in Brunswick County, North Carolina for breaking and entering, the local Sheriff's Office reports.
"For anyone looking to take advantage of vulnerabilities during this storm...You will be arrested!" the police department tweeted.
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How to stay connected in a hurricanepublished at 11:58 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
By Chris Baraniuk, BBC Technology reporter
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
When weather gets wild, texting can be more reliable than mobile data
It's never guaranteed how electricity, internet and mobile network coverage will be affected during hurricanes, but there are some precautions you can take.
Some people will rely on generators for power, for example, though that won't be easy for all - especially in badly flooded areas. Battery powered devices are perhaps a safer bet.
Particularly for those evacuating, portable battery packs can be indispensable as a means of keeping mobile phones working without access to mains power for charging.
As for connectivity, US operators have already brought in mobile cell units in an effort to keep coverage in place, should local cell towers fail.
Mobile networks are easily stretched in times of crisis, so people may find it easier to text rather than call or use mobile data.
Some services still offer limited access via SMS, or text - including Twitter.
Facebook's Safety Check allows people to mark themselves safe during disasters.
If you don't have any internet connectivity whatsoever, you can still chat to nearby people who have smartphones with mesh networking apps that link the devices wirelessly. These include Firechat, Vojer and Signal Offline Messenger.
Finally, battery or wind-up radios can be carried practically anywhere and are useful ways of receiving updates from local authorities and weather stations.
Who pays for a hurricane?published at 11:51 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
How do you calculate the cost of clearing up after a natural disaster?
Reality Check investigated this last year.
'The power is flickering on and off': BBC anchor 'drenched' in Carolinapublished at 11:35 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
BBC News presenter Laura Trevelyan is in Wilmington, North Carolina, where she reports "the wind is howling and the rain is drenching".
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Call for New Bern assistancepublished at 11:27 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
Local officials are asking for people with boats to assist in rescue efforts in the city of New Bern, WRAL reporter Candace Sweat has tweeted.
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'Debris flying through the air'published at 11:14 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
There are "83 mile-an-hour wind gusts in Wilmington", local journalist Amanda Lamb reports on Instagram.
"Debris and sheet metal are flying through the air."
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BBC news presenter Laura Trevelyan reports that the "eyewall of Hurricane Florence is approaching Wilmington".
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Blanket deliveries in South Carolinapublished at 10:51 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
South Carolina's National Guard has shared images of blanket deliveries it has been making to those affected by the storm in the state.
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'Very nasty': Close-up video of the storm's eyepublished at 10:40 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
A scientist from the National Hurricane Center has tweeted video of the hurricane's eyewall - the area just outside the storm's eye where the worst winds and rainfall are found.
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'An eerie sensation': BBC anchor in the hurricane's pathpublished at 10:34 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
BBC World News America presenter Laura Trevelyan reports that it's still dark and there is "an eerie sensation" in Wilmington, North Carolina as the storm approaches.
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get involved
Get involved - send us your pictures and videopublished at 10:27 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
If you're in an area affected by Hurricane Florence, you can send us your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk, on Twitter at @BBC_HaveYourSay, external, or via WhatsApp on +44 7555 173285.
As always, make sure you stay safe - please don't take photos/video if it's dangerous to do so!
Firefighters advise on emergency lightingpublished at 10:26 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
Fire crews in Raleigh, the state capital of North Carolina, have some advice on the best lighting options if you're hit by a power cut.
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At least 200,000 left without powerpublished at 10:05 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
Thousands of people in the areas worst-affected by Florence's winds and severe rainfall are now without electricity.
North Carolina's Emergency Management service said nearly 200,000 are suffering power cuts in the state - but local media put the figure at nearer 280,000.
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Eye of the storm near Wilmingtonpublished at 09:59 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
Local ABC reporter and weatherman Don Schwenneker says the eye of the storm is about hit the city of Wilmington in North Carolina.
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Record floods forecast for Cape Fear Riverpublished at 09:52 British Summer Time 14 September 2018
To put the flood risk in context, TV meteorologist Bill Karins tweeted a comparison with past hurricanes.
He said the Cape Fear River near Burgaw, North Carolina was forecast to reach two feet higher than its previous record flooding level, which came during the powerful Hurricane Floyd in 1999.
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