Florence down to a Category 2, but still deadly

Hurricane Florence weakened Thursday morning as winds and rain started hitting the coast of North Carolina, but that hasn’t eased the concerns of forecasters. Winds dropped from a high of 140 mph to 110 mph, reducing Florence from a Category 4 to a Category 2 storm. But it’s not the wind from a hurricane that poses the largest threat—it’s the water.

The size of the storm is the biggest concern, said National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham. “The larger and the slower the storm is, the greater the threat and the impact—and we have that,” he said. Forecasters haven’t lowered the expected rainfall. The best estimate has Florence’s eye moving onshore near the border of North Carolina and South Carolina as soon as early Friday, bringing a 13-foot storm surge with it.

Currently, 1.7 million people are under mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders, and more than 10 million others are under storm watches or warnings. As people evacuate, gas stations in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia are starting to run empty. Airlines have canceled nearly 1,000 flights in the region through Friday, and Duke Energy expects 1 million to 3 million homes and businesses could lose power due to the storm.