Friday, March 29, 2024

Hurricane Florence Update: Storm Turns South, Could Have Dire Consequences for Carolinas

*(Via USA Today) – Hurricane Florence is now expected to slow down and turn south after making a roaring landfall along the East Coast, a forecast that could have dire consequences for South Carolina, meteorologists said Wednesday.

Florence is a mammoth, Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 130 mph. It is expected to reach the Carolinas early overnight Thursday, and more than a million people have been ordered to evacuate coastal areas.

National Weather Service in Wilmington, North Carolina, said the latest models show Florence reaching a “ridge” building over the eastern U.S., stalling and then moving into South Carolina. The office warned that Florence “will likely be the storm of a lifetime for portions of the Carolina coast.”

The slowdown could mean 20 to 30 inches of rain in some coastal areas, with isolated 40 inch totals. Hurricane winds could linger for 24 hours or more, a threat to sweep away trees and power lines.

“Heed the warnings,” FEMA’s Jeff Byard said. “Today’s the day. It’s time for citizens to be a part of the team… and evacuate.”

More: ‘Storm of a lifetime’: storm surge, extreme winds and torrents of rain

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More: Track Hurricane Florence

The storm, as of 11 a.m. ET, was located about 485 miles southeast of Wilmington and 520 miles east-southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, moving northwest at 15 mph. Florence is still forecast to make landfall in North or South Carolina. But the prediction previously had called for a move north.

“The NHC track has been adjusted southward … and additional southward adjustment may be warranted in future advisories,” the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday.

Speaking of the unusual forecast track, which shows a spin to the south along the South Carolina coast, Weather Channel meteorologist Greg Postel said, “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Get the rest of this important story at USA Today.

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