This photo provided by NASA shows Hurricane Florence from the International Space Station on Monday, Sept. 10, 2018, as it threatens the U.S. East Coast. Forecasters said Florence could become an extremely dangerous major hurricane sometime Monday and remain that way for days. (NASA via AP)
RALEIGH, North Carolina 鈥� Florence exploded into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane Monday as it closed in on North and South Carolina, carrying winds up to 130 mph and water that could wreak havoc over a wide stretch of the eastern United States later this week.
Communities along a stretch of coastline that鈥檚 vulnerable to rising sea levels due to climate change prepared to evacuate the storm, which forecasters expect to be close to Category 5 strength by Tuesday. The South Carolina governor ordered the state鈥檚 entire coastline to be evacuated starting at noon Tuesday and predicted that 1 million people would flee. And Virginia鈥檚 governor ordered a mandatory evacuation for some residents of low-lying coastal areas.
The storm鈥檚 first effects were already apparent on barrier islands as dangerous rip currents hit beaches and seawater flowed over a state highway.
For many people, the challenge could be finding a safe refuge: If Florence slows to a crawl just off the coast, it could bring torrential rains to the Appalachian mountains and as far away as West Virginia, causing flash floods, mudslides and other dangerous conditions.
The storm鈥檚 potential path also includes half a dozen nuclear power plants, pits holding coal-ash and other industrial waste, and numerous hog farms that store animal waste in massive open-air lagoons.
Airlines, including American and Southwest, have started letting passengers change travel plans that take them into the hurricane鈥檚 possible path.
National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham warned that Florence was forecast to linger over the Carolinas once it reaches shore. People living well inland should prepare to lose power and endure flooding and other hazards, he warned.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just the coast,鈥� Graham said. 鈥淲hen you stall a system like this and it moves real slow, some of that rainfall can extend well away from the center.鈥�
A warm ocean is the fuel that powers hurricanes, and Florence will be moving over waters where temperatures are peaking near 85 degrees (30 Celsius), hurricane specialist Eric Blake wrote. And with little wind shear to pull the storm apart, Florence鈥檚 hurricane wind field was expected to expand over the coming days, increasing its storm surge and inland wind threats.
By 5 p.m. Monday, Florence was centered about 1,170 miles (1,880 kilometers) east-southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, and moving west at 13 mph (20 kph). Its center will move between Bermuda and the Bahamas on Tuesday and Wednesday and approach the coast of South Carolina or North Carolina on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Two other storms were spinning in the Atlantic. Hurricane Isaac was expected to lose strength as it reaches the Caribbean, and Helene, much farther out to sea, may veer northward into the open ocean as the 2018 hurricane season reaches its peak.
In the Pacific, Hurricane Olivia triggered warnings for multiple Hawaiian islands as it blew west toward an arrival over the state as soon as late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Preparations for Florence were intensifying up and down the densely populated coast. Since reliable record-keeping began more than 150 years ago, North Carolina has been hit by only one Category 4 hurricane: Hazel, with 130 mph winds, in 1954.
The parking lot has been full for three days at the Ace Hardware store in coastal Calabash, North Carolina, where manager Tom Roberts said he sold 150 gas cans in two hours Monday, along with generators, plywood, rope, manual can openers, sand bags and a plethora of other items.
鈥淚鈥檝e been doing this since 1983,鈥� Roberts said as he completed an order for another 18-wheeler full of supplies. 鈥淭his is the craziest one.鈥�
Many newcomers have moved to the coast in the nearly 19 years since the last strong hurricane 鈥� Floyd 鈥� threatened the area. Roberts said he鈥檚 telling them to get out of town.
鈥淚鈥檓 telling them to go inland, but I鈥檓 worried about the rain and tornadoes too,鈥� Roberts said.
Several meteorologists said Florence could do what Hurricane Harvey did last year over Texas, dumping days of rain, although not quite as bad.
鈥淚 think this is very Harvey-esque,鈥� said University of Miami hurricane expert Brian McNoldy. 鈥淣ormally, a landfalling tropical cyclone just keeps on going inland, gradually dissipating and raining itself out. But on rare occasions, the steering patterns can line up such that a storm slips into a dead zone between troughs and ridges.鈥�
On North Carolina鈥檚 Outer Banks, Dawn Farrow Taylor, 50, was gathering photos and important documents and filling prescriptions Monday before heading inland. She grew up on the island chain, and says this will be only the second time she鈥檚 evacuated.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think many of us have ever been through a Category 4. And out here we鈥檙e so fragile. We鈥檙e just a strip of land 鈥� we鈥檙e a barrier island,鈥� she said.
In the village of Buxton, Liz Browning Fox plans to ride the storm out in her house on top of a ridge. She believes her home, built in 2009, will be secure, but it鈥檚 hard to foresee all potential hazards.
鈥淵ou never know, there could be tree missiles coming from any direction,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here is no way to be completely safe.鈥�
In announcing his evacuation order, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said an estimated 1 million people would be fleeing the coast. Eastbound lanes of Interstate 26 heading into Charleston and U.S. 501 heading into Myrtle Beach will be reversed when the order takes effect.
An evacuation order from Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam applies to about 245,000 people, including parts of the Hampton Roads area and Eastern Shore.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said his state was 鈥渋n the bullseye鈥� of the storm and urged people to 鈥済et ready now.鈥�