Hurricane Florence to devastate the US east coast starting today
What's the story
An enormous hurricane called Florence is headed towards the East Coast of the United States and is expected to make landfall on Thursday along the North Carolina coast. Although Florence has weakened to a Category 2 hurricane from its earlier Category 4 morph, the storm is still expected to rip through the US coastline, devastating residents, infrastructure, and property. Here are the details.
Twitter Post
A 'nightmare' is headed towards the United States of America
Watch out, America! #HurricaneFlorence is so enormous, we could only capture her with a super wide-angle lens from the @Space_Station, 400 km directly above the eye. Get prepared on the East Coast, this is a no-kidding nightmare coming for you. #Horizons pic.twitter.com/ovZozsncfh
— Alexander Gerst (@Astro_Alex) September 12, 2018
Anticipation
Hundreds of flights cancelled, millions ordered to evacuate
In anticipation of Hurricane Florence's wrath, more than one million people have been ordered to evacuate from coastal areas of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Tornado warnings have been issued in parts of North Carolina and over 800 flights along the US east coast has been cancelled. Meanwhile, storm surges resultant of Florence are expected to reach heights equivalent to two storey buildings.
Other details
Electricity to be knocked out in the Carolinas
But, that's not all. Hurricane Florence will bring winds of 175kmph, and is expected knock out electricity in 75% of the 4 million homes in North Carolina and South Carolina. Flooding resultant of storm surges is expected as well. As Hurricane Florence moves inland, it is expected to bring heavy rains and put Georgia and Maryland in peril too.
Twitter Post
A concerned Donald Trump urges residents to follow evacuation orders
It is imperative that everyone follow local evacuation orders. This storm is extremely dangerous. Be SAFE! #HurricaneFlorence https://t.co/94Ue4e26PD pic.twitter.com/KvF54CwomW
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 12, 2018