A much-weakened Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina early Friday.
Florence, now a Category 1, remains a threat to that region – it’s still expected to bring damaging winds and rains.
It made landfall at 7:15 a.m. at Wrightsville Beach, a few miles east of Wilmington, as the center of its eye moved onshore, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Forecasters said “catastrophic” freshwater flooding was expected along waterways far from the coast of the Carolinas. The storm’s maximum sustained winds held at about 90 mph (144 kph).
More than 100,000 of residents across the Cape Fear region are without power according to Duke Energy’s outage map Friday morning. The storm is now producing 90 mph winds sustained with strong gusts possible.
Hampton Roads dodged the bullet, but “tropical storm conditions” are forecast by the National Weather Service.
Some emergency shelters are still open in Hampton Roads and emergency crews remain on standby.
Area residents have been preparing, stocking up on essential items such as canned goods and water.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Our sister publication, Port City Daily in Wilmington, North Carolina, is in the path of Hurricane Florence. Our staff there is covering Florence and its impact to that community. Follow their live coverage here.
