Hurricane Florence is heading for the East Coast of America, with forecasters predicting it is to make landfall on 14 September in the Carolinas. The storm is currently category four and is expected to strengthen in the coming days.

Florence is the most powerful storm to threaten the Carolinas in almost thirty years with current sustained wind speeds of over 140mph. Forecasts predict as much as 20 inches of rain, and the region could be without power for several days. Storm surge is also predicted to flood large areas.

A state of emergency has already been declared in Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC as well as North and South Carolina. Officials have already asked residents in low-lying coastal areas to leave their homes with a million people expected to evacuate.

On the morning of 12 September Florence is still over 700 miles offshore but will remain extremely powerful until landfall.

Related News and Resources

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• Copernicus Sentinel maps Florence hurricane flood (ESA)
• Evaluating Florence damage from the air: NOAA begins aerial surveys (NOAA)
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• USGS, AmericaView Connection Proves Valuable with Hurricane Florence (USGS)