Hurricane Florence Could Be the Worst Storm to Ever Hit North of Florida

Hurricane Florence Could Be the Worst Storm to Ever Hit North of Florida As Hurricane Florence continues its charge toward the southeastern coast of the United States, it now almost certainly will make landfall in North or South Carolina on Thursday. As of 5 p.m. Monday, Florence’s maximum sustained winds had approached 140 miles an hour. The most recent update from the National Hurricane Center said that Florence is expected to strengthen even further, and to retain its status as an “extremely dangerous major hurricane” through Thursday. If Florence strikes North Carolina at its current classification, Category 4, it would be only the third to do so in recorded history, and the first to do so this early in the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from the beginning of June to the end of November. It would be the 11th major hurricane to make landfall along the southeastern Atlantic coast, excluding Florida. Experts weren’t ready to rule out the possibility that Florence could even make landfall as a Category 5 hurricane, a feat never achieved by any recorded storm in the region. Dennis Feltgen, a spokesperson for the National Hurricane Center in Miami, says that reaching Category 5 is “certainly a possibility.” If Florence doesn’t undergo a phenomenon known as an eyewall replacement cycle, which would weaken the storm, it has a chance of reaching the 157-mph boundary line and making history, Feltgen says. READ MORE https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/09/hurricane-florence-southeast-danger/569863/ More than one MILLION people in the path of 'catastrophic' Hurricane Florence ordered to EVACUATE as five states along the southeast coastline declare emergencies and 30 warships set out to sea to avoid damage The South Carolina governor ordered the state’s entire coastline to be evacuated starting at noon Tuesday and predicted that 1 million people would flee. The U.S. military said it was sending an advance team to Raleigh, North Carolina, to coordinate with federal and state partners. It said about 750 military personnel would be designated to provide support. The U.S. Navy also ordered all warships docked at the world's largest military port out to sea. The commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command said that nearly 30 warships would be sent out from Hampton Roads, which is home to Naval Station Norfolk, according to USA Today. Naval Station Norfolk is the home base of four aircraft carriers - the USS Abraham Lincoln, the USS Gerald Ford, the USS George H.W. Bush, and the USS Harry Truman. The USS Bush, the USS Lincoln, and the USS Truman are Nimitz-class aircraft carriers that are powered by nuclear energy. Other military personnel could also find themselves directly in harm’s way. READ MORE https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6150029/Florence-set-major-hurricane-aims-US-Southeast.html