In a new graphic from the National Weather Prediction Center, officials break down the bands of the storm.

Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has ended the capital's state of emergency as Florence's path moves it away from the District.

The nation's capital had issued a state of emergency earlier this week along with Maryland, Virginia and North and South Carolina.

More than 100 shelters have opened up in North Carolina as intense winds and rain begin to lash the state's coast.

Almost 90,000 people are without power there already.

These people are pictured waiting out the storm in a facility being run by the Red Cross in Grantsboro, NC.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Hurricane Florence is expected to be one of the biggest storms to make landfall along the US eastern seaboard in decades.

BBC News' Franz Strasser has taken a detailed look at why the geography and demographics in its predicted path pose a risk to millions of residents and their homes.

Read more: Four reasons to fear this storm

It's not just fast-food restaurants closing up shop - travellers are feeling the effects of the storm, too.

South Carolina's Charleston International airport (CHS) was closed earlier today, and the FAA says it is not expected to re-open until after the weekend.

According to FlightAware, about 700 flights were cancelled today and more than 200 more are already grounded tomorrow.

These screenshots, taken just hours apart, show how water levels are already dramatically rising in parts of North Carolina.

Mark Sudduth, who runs a hurricane tracking website, posted an update of the scene at a popular tourist spot in the city of New Bern.

Image source, Getty Images

Charleston residents have seen this before, and they are not shy about telling you.

There's a certain pride as they tick off the storms they've weathered already, as a way of explaining why they're not going anywhere this time around.

"I've been through Hurricane Floyd, Andrew, Hugo", said Michael Farmer as he sat next to his son, fishing off the Battery at the city's southern tip. "None of them was that scary to me. And I'm gonna ride it out."

State officials issued an evacuation order on Tuesday, and thousands of people have fled to safer ground. Many shops remain shuttered, and tourists have been ordered to stay away from the area.

But heading into Thursday evening, the waters of Charleston Harbor remained calm, and the wind was a gentle - if firm - Southern breeze. The historic downtown area's main promenade was filled with a steady stream of locals, looking for any signs of the impending storm.

Ann Capluck rode bicycled down with her husband and two kids. They live in the area, and have no intention of leaving.

"I just want to be here to protect my house, and I don't know, maybe we'll be part of history".

That steely determination is perhaps admirable before the rains begin to fall; they may feel otherwise in the coming days.

A local reporter spotted dolphins taking a pre-storm swim along the waterway in Wilmington, North Carolina.

In another case of the Waffle House Index, the Krispy Kreme doughnut shop in Fayetteville, North Carolina has shuttered due to Hurricane Florence.

What's the Waffle House Index?

It's one of the ways US emergency services determine how bad a natural disaster is - by looking at fast food restaurants that are open or closed. Learn more here.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for parts of the North Carolina's Outer Banks. Rotating clouds in a dangerous thunderstorm have been spotted.

Officials say residents should move now to a basement or interior room on the lowest level of a sturdy building.

Hail is also possible with this storm.

Image source, Reuters

The US Department of Agriculture's food safety team has offered up a series of tips, external for those affected by Hurricane Florence, including:

• Keep thermometers in the fridge and freezer to make sure temperatures stay below 40°F (4°C) and 0°F (-17°C) respectively
• Freeze water in storage bags or small containers beforehand to help keep food cold if the power goes out
• Group foods together in the freezer as it creates an "igloo effect" that keeps items cold longer
• Keep meats on one side of a freezer or on a tray to avoid cross-contamination if they thaw
• Do not eat any food that may have had contact with flood water

Of course, these are just some recommendations, and as the agency says: "When in doubt, throw it out."

Sections of a boardwalk in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, have been destroyed in the winds and waves as Hurricane Florence approaches.

As the storm arrives, the Carolina coasts are being battered with winds gusting up to 78mph (125km/h).

Image source, Getty Images

As North Carolina's Neuse River begins to spill over its banks amid torrential rain, some residents in the town of New Bern are still out walking in the rising waters.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Despite evacuation orders and warnings of life-threatening surf ahead of Florence, some South Carolina beachgoers took advantage of the waves generated by the impending storm.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, AFP

Image source, AFP

Image source, Getty Images

Governor Roy Cooper called Florence a "historic storm" for North Carolina.

"We are worried about two things: one is the ocean surge, which is going to contribute to our inland flooding...in addition to the significant and historic rainfall that we're about to have."

"[People] need to get to a safe place and they need to get to it now," the governor said.

Image source, Reuters

"Our flooding issue is only going to get worse."

Around 30,000 residents are currently without power in the state.

Up to a million people have been evacuated, Cooper said.

Officials also said 2,800 national guard troops have been activated, and another 1,000 are ready to go.

The state has partnered with the military, and 40 high water vehicles will be provided from Fort Bragg.

Image source, Governor Roy Cooper/Facebook

North Carolina's Governor Roy Cooper announced he's requested more federal disaster relief for clean-up and recovery efforts, in addition to the declaration signed by the president earlier this week.

"This is going to be a challenge," he said. "But we're ready for this."

"Workers are helping more than 12,000 evacuees settle at about 126 shelters across the state," he told reporters at a news conference.

"They are opening more as needed and as we speak."

Cooper said FEMA has "strategically positioned supplies and equipment" including food and water.

Swiftwater rescue teams and medical personnel from North Carolina and 19 other states are also ready to respond, he added.

The National Hurricane Center's latest update, external shows Hurricane Florence dropping to a crawl of 5mph (7 km/h). The storm is maintaining winds of 100 mph (155 km/h).

The advisory says "little change in strength" is expected before Florence makes landfall.

This is how you know it's getting bad: the Waffle House in Shallotte, North Carolina, just south of Wilmington, has officially closed because of the storm.

So why is Waffle House important?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) keeps a check on the length of the menu at Waffle House outlets , externalin the aftermath of natural disasters. If customers are being offered a limited menu, food supplies at the restaurant may be low and it might only have generator power.

If the restaurant is closed? “That’s really bad,” FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate once said, external.

Read more about quirky fast food signals here.

Over 400 people have registered their homes on Airbnb to be used free shelters for “displaced neighbours” and relief workers who have been deployed to assist in emergency efforts.

Hosts have the option to set the nightly rate of $0 through the Airbnb website, external.