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Hurricane Florence: Deadly 'brute' of a storm ravages Carolinas | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Four people have died as Hurricane Florence mauls the US East Coast, knocking out power to 600,000 homes and causing buildings to crumble. | |
A mother and child were killed when a tree fell on their house in Wilmington, North Carolina. The father was transported to hospital with injuries. | |
Dozens of people were rescued from a collapsing hotel as a huge storm surge toppled trees and swamped streets. | |
Evacuation warnings are in place for 1.7 million people. | Evacuation warnings are in place for 1.7 million people. |
The third fatality was a Pender County, North Carolina, woman who had a medical condition. | |
She called for emergency assistance, but ambulance workers could not reach her in time because fallen trees blocked their route. | |
In Lenoir County, a person was killed while plugging in a generator, according to the governor's office. | |
Florence made landfall at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, on Friday morning as a category one storm. | |
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper told a news conference that whole communities "could be wiped away" by the 400-mile-wide hurricane. | North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper told a news conference that whole communities "could be wiped away" by the 400-mile-wide hurricane. |
"It's an uninvited brute who doesn't want to leave," he said. | |
The state's transportation secretary, James Trogdon, said it may see flooding that normally only occurs once every 1,000 years. | |
Parts of North Carolina have seen storm surges as high as 10ft (3m). | |
Thousands of miles away a powerful storm has reached the Philippines. More than five million people are in the path of Super Typhoon Mangkhut, officials say. | |
By early afternoon on Friday Florence's winds had weakened to 75mph, and it was expected to gradually weaken further over the weekend. | |
But US officials say it remains extremely dangerous because of potential catastrophic flooding. | |
The North Carolina governor said the hurricane was likely to "continue its violent grind across the state for days" as it crawls along at just 5mph. | |
Forecasters say the storm surge, together with up to 3.5ft (1m) of rain over the next few days, could spawn a slow-motion disaster. | |
By Friday morning, the North Carolina coastal town of Atlantic Beach had already received 30in (76cm) of rain, the US Geological Service said. | By Friday morning, the North Carolina coastal town of Atlantic Beach had already received 30in (76cm) of rain, the US Geological Service said. |
Florence is forecast to dump about 18 trillion gallons of rainwater on US soil, most of it in North Carolina, meteorologist Ryan Maue tweeted. | |
Hurricane Harvey last year shed 33 trillion gallons of rainwater in the US. | |
Nearly 620,000 homes and businesses are without power; energy companies say up to three million homes and businesses could lose electricity. | |
Officials have estimated that restoring electricity could take days or even weeks. | |
In Jacksonville, North Carolina, officials rescued more than 60 people overnight from a hotel that was collapsing in the storm. | |
Emergency workers arrived to find the Triangle Motor Inn's structure crumbling, with many guests still in their rooms. | Emergency workers arrived to find the Triangle Motor Inn's structure crumbling, with many guests still in their rooms. |
As parts of the roof caved in, police had to force their way into some suites amid 75mph winds to reach those inside. | As parts of the roof caved in, police had to force their way into some suites amid 75mph winds to reach those inside. |
All of the occupants, who included children and pets, were safely rescued. | All of the occupants, who included children and pets, were safely rescued. |
Parts of New Bern, North Carolina, which is home to 30,000 people, were 10ft underwater. | |
At least 200 householders in the riverfront city had to be plucked to safety by authorities. | |
Local resident Peggy Perry told CNN she was "stuck in the attic" along with three relatives. | Local resident Peggy Perry told CNN she was "stuck in the attic" along with three relatives. |
"In a matter of seconds, my house was flooded up to the waist, and now it is to the chest," she added. | "In a matter of seconds, my house was flooded up to the waist, and now it is to the chest," she added. |
Officials have warned people against entering attics, so as to avoid drowning, unless they have a means to cut through to the roof. | |
Tom Balance, owner of a seafood restaurant in New Bern, decided not to evacuate and had to be rescued by police. | |
"I feel like the dumbest human being who ever walked the face of the earth," he told AP news agency. | |
More than 20,000 people have been taking refuge in emergency shelters. | |
At the White House, President Donald Trump has been retweeting local emergency officials' updates and tips for surviving the storm. | At the White House, President Donald Trump has been retweeting local emergency officials' updates and tips for surviving the storm. |
Is global warming to blame? | Is global warming to blame? |
The relationship between climate change and hurricanes is a complex one. | The relationship between climate change and hurricanes is a complex one. |
Warmer seas power hurricanes. So as the temperature of ocean water goes up, we might expect the intensity of hurricanes to increase in future. | Warmer seas power hurricanes. So as the temperature of ocean water goes up, we might expect the intensity of hurricanes to increase in future. |
A hotter atmosphere can also hold more water, so this should allow hurricanes to dump more water on affected areas. | A hotter atmosphere can also hold more water, so this should allow hurricanes to dump more water on affected areas. |
But there are so many factors that contribute to these rare events, it has been difficult to tease out clear trends from the data. | But there are so many factors that contribute to these rare events, it has been difficult to tease out clear trends from the data. |
Are you in the area? How are you preparing for the hurricane? If it is safe to do so please tell us about your situation by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you in the area? How are you preparing for the hurricane? If it is safe to do so please tell us about your situation by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. |
You can also contact us in the following ways: | You can also contact us in the following ways: |
Or use the form below | Or use the form below |