Hurricane Florence has already hit North Carolina

The outer belt of Category 13 hurricane Florence reached the North Carolina coast on the morning of September XNUMX. This led to huge waves - sea water flooded some roads in the state.

Фото: Depositphotos

This is the beginning of a long attack of wind and water on the region, which can cause devastating damage, as well as lead to floods that will affect millions of people, writes The Washington Post.

During Thursday, weather conditions will deteriorate: the winds will accelerate, the rain will intensify, and the ocean will leave the usual shores.

According to forecasts, the center of the hurricane will land on Friday in southeastern North Carolina, which will lead to very serious and dangerous weather conditions in the region: a strong rise in ocean levels and heavy rainfall from 20 to 40 inches (50-100 cm).

The National Hurricane Center warns that floods from storm surges and precipitation can be "catastrophic."

The same zone will suffer from devastating hurricane winds, which will not cease for almost a day, and the weather conditions of a tropical storm will be observed in the state for about 48 hours. Winds can cause damage to houses, knock down trees and break power lines.

Despite the fact that the storm category dropped from the fourth to the second, weather forecasters emphasized that this criterion reflects only the speed of peak winds in a very narrow core near the center of the storm. The size of the hurricane has expanded, it still carries winds of dangerous speed, and the level of threat of floods has not changed with the change in the category of the hurricane.

On Friday and on weekends, a massive storm containing a zone of tropical storm winds with a diameter of about 400 miles (650 km) will drift over land, covering most of South Carolina and the southern part of North Carolina. Bad weather will also be felt in eastern Georgia.

Florence showers can be a record for North Carolina, currently the record holder for the number of rains in the state is Hurricane Floyd, which threw X-NUMX inches (1999 cm) of rain in 24 year.

Flooding from heavy rainfall is the second leading cause of death during tropical storms and hurricanes.

Hurricane carries with it the threat of floods, not only in the Carolinas. By early next week, weakened, but containing a large amount of moisture, Florence will bring rain to Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Washington and Pennsylvania, where the weather is already rather wet, so these areas are under threat of flooding.

Recent data

As of 11: 00 13 September, Florence's wind force was 105 miles (169 km) per hour, the hurricane center is about 145 miles (233 km) southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, the storm moves northwest from speed 10 miles (16 km) per hour.

The hurricane center predicts that the hurricane will maintain the 2 category with slight fluctuations in wind speed until the center reaches the land, after which its strength will gradually decrease.

Storm waves

With the approach of a hurricane center, the storm waves in North and South Carolina can become simply huge, reaching heights of more than 13 feet (3,9 meters).

The biggest surge, according to forecasts, should occur in the south-east of North Carolina, there may occur flooding of significant areas on the coast.

If the maximum surge from the hurricane coincides with the tide, the size of the waves in some regions will be as follows:

• Cape Fir to Cape Lookout, including the Noise, Pamliko, Pungo and Bay rivers: from 9 to 13 feet (2,7-3,9 m);
• North Myrtle Beach to Cape Fir: 6 to 9 ft (1,8 -2,7 m);
• Cape Lookout to Okrakok Bay: from 6 to 9 feet (1,8-2,7 m);
• South Santi River to North Myrtle Beach: 4 to 6 feet (1,2-1,8 m);
• Okrakok Bay to Salvo, North Carolina: from 4 to 6 feet (1,2-1,8 m);
• from Salvo to the Virginia border: from 2 to 4 feet (cm 60-120);
• Edisto Beach to South Santi River: from 2 to 4 feet (60-120 cm).

Rain

Excessive rainfall is expected in the southeastern part of North Carolina.

The hurricane center predicts the following rainfall:

• North Carolina Coast and Northeastern South Carolina: from 20 to 30 (50-75 cm) inches, in places 40 inches (100 cm).
• The rest of South Carolina and Virginia's southwest: from 6 to 12 inches (15-30 cm), in places 24 inches (60 cm).

Wind

The strongest winds are concentrated on the ring around the calm center of the storm, their speed at landfall is about 100 miles (160 km) per hour.

The zone in which these winds will act will be narrow, and they will last only a few hours, but the consequences are likely to be very serious: damage to houses, falling trees, breaks in power lines.

It is expected that people can remain without electricity from several days to several weeks after the hurricane.

The power outage model developed at the University of Michigan provides that 3,2 million people will be without electricity due to Florence, mainly in eastern North Carolina.

Read also on ForumDaily:

How to survive a hurricane with minimal losses

Atlantic hurricanes will become more powerful and slower

10 things worth having in the house so as not to be afraid of the hurricane and the flood

Like a coin frozen in a cup of water can help during a hurricane

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