1 million people are told to flee U.S. East Coast, Hurricane Florence to hit strongly
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AccuWeather meteorologists believe that Florence will reach the Carolina coasts and pose a serious threat to lives and property late this week.
"There will be extensive damage inflicted by Hurricane Florence due to its predicted path, which is perpendicular to the coast, rather than at an oblique angle. This means the east and southeast winds on the east side of the storm are going to be most effective in driving storm surge flooding as the wind and waves pound the coast. That is one of many factors in why AccuWeather is estimating $30 billion in economic impact and damage from Florence,” AccuWeather Founder and President Dr. Joel N. Myers said.
With a Category 4 hurricane rapidly approaching and weather officials issuing a hurricane warning for more than 300 miles of coastline, more than 1 million people faced a choice Tuesday: stay home and take their chances with the storm, or compete with heavy traffic to drive inland.
The National Weather Service said Hurricane Florence will bring life-threatening storm surge and rainfall to parts of the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic states. ■