Why does FEMA’s Brock Long take Florence so seriously? Because he remembers Hugo.

Why does FEMA’s Brock Long take Florence so seriously? Because he remembers Hugo.

For North Carolina native Brock Long, Hurricane Florence is personal. Long, who grew up in Newton, was 14 in 1989 the night Hurricane Hugo swept in, toppling trees and damaging buildings. “Hurricane Hugo . . . came right over my house,” he told CBS News Tuesday. “We were out of power for 10 days. I was out of school I remember for two weeks. This storm is setting up to be very similar to that…

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‘Don’t play games with it’: Florence takes aim at Carolinas

‘Don’t play games with it’: Florence takes aim at Carolinas

WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — People who thought they were relatively safe from the onslaught of Hurricane Florence began boarding up and Georgia’s governor declared a state of emergency Wednesday as uncertainty over the path of the monster storm spread worry along the Southeastern coast. Closing in with terrifying winds of 125 mph (205 kph) and potentially catastrophic rain and storm surge, Florence is expected to blow ashore Saturday morning along the North Carolina-South Carolina line,…

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Florence could flood hog manure pits, coal ash dumps

Florence could flood hog manure pits, coal ash dumps

Hurricane Florence’s heavy rains could cause an environmental disaster in North Carolina, where waste from hog manure pits, coal ash dumps and other industrial sites could wash into homes and threaten drinking water supplies. Computer models predict up to 3 feet of rain in the southeastern corner of the state, a fertile low-lying plain veined by brackish rivers with a propensity for escaping their banks. Longtime locals don’t have to strain their imaginations to foresee what…

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East Coast military bases brace for Florence

East Coast military bases brace for Florence

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Navy is moving people and ships ahead of Hurricane Florence , and the Air Force and Army are flying advanced aircraft elsewhere as a safeguard. Some remaining Marines, meanwhile, are digging in their heels. Florence is headed for a region with some of the most well-known military bases in the country, including Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Parris Island in…

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Jim Cantore talks memes, 'very dangerous' Florence outlook

The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore is a legendary figure in hurricane reporting and he arrived in Wilmington Monday. WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH — As Southeastern N.C. settled into Hurricane Florence Watch over the weekend, it also kept an eye out for another arrival — Jim Cantore. The seasoned meteorologist for The Weather Channel has long been the face of hurricane coverage for the 24-hour weather network. Wherever they go, he goes. In Southeastern N.C., ask anyone who has been…

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Cooper: Plan to be without power for days after Florence

Cooper: Plan to be without power for days after Florence

Gov. Roy Cooper is reminding North Carolinians that Hurricane Florence is a storm that shouldn’t be taken lightly. (Photo: CNN) RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN/AP) — Gov. Roy Cooper is reminding North Carolinians that Hurricane Florence is a storm that shouldn’t be taken lightly. “Every county and every person in North Carolina needs to stay alert and take this storm seriously,” Cooper said. – Advertisement – Despite newer forecasts showing the storm turning south, it has the…

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Carolina Beach boardwalk businesses boarded up in preparation for Florence

Carolina Beach boardwalk businesses boarded up in preparation for Florence

Silver Dollar on Carolina Beach boardwalk boarded up, ready for Hurricane Florence (Source: WECT) CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WECT) – Businesses along the Carolina Beach boardwalk are boarded up as the town prepares for the wrath of Hurricane Florence. The town issued a mandatory evacuation Monday evening. That evacuation started Tuesday morning. All residents are ordered to be off the island by no later than 8 p.m. Wednesday. Dava Villapinano, owner of the Silver Dollar on…

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Smartphone apps to download before Florence

Smartphone apps to download before Florence

Zello, ReadyNC and GasBuddy are among the recommended downloads before the storm arrives. WILMINGTON – Power outages and faulty internet are all but guaranteed as Hurricane Florence bears down on the region. But this isn’t 1954, when Hurricane Hazel beat and battered the area to a devastating degree and the only form of communication was a landline. Today, weather officials recommended residents use one of the most power tools in their arsenal for prepping for…

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Watch Hurricane Florence live from Coast Guard tower webcam

Watch Hurricane Florence live from Coast Guard tower webcam

Want an up-close look at Hurricane Florence? Watch the video below to see live footage from an old Coast Guard light tower, 32 miles off the coast of southeastern North Carolina. If current storm projections are correct, that won’t be far from where Florence makes landfall. [embedded content] One camera, mounted on the tower’s helipad about 100 feet above the water, should capture long views, along with the hurricane-force winds whipping the American flag. Shortly…

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Florence temporarily closes Grand Strand Medical Center, including ER

Florence temporarily closes Grand Strand Medical Center, including ER

Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter Emergency Room Entrance (Photo: Pixabay) MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) — The Grand Strand Medical Center — including its emergency room — closed Wednesday morning ahead of Hurricane Florence. The ER closure, effective at 8 a.m., is temporary and in compliance with Gov. Henry McMaster’s medical evacuation order, said Julie Kopnicky Tyre, Grand Strand Health director of marketing and public relations, in a press release. – Advertisement – “In light of the mandatory medical evacuation,…

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‘Disaster is at the doorstep’ and Hurricane Florence ‘may be a marathon,’ NC governor says

‘Disaster is at the doorstep’ and Hurricane Florence ‘may be a marathon,’ NC governor says

N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper continues to stress that residents be prepared and not take Hurricane Florence lightly as it appears likely to impact the Carolinas in the days ahead. “My message is clear: Disaster is at the doorstep and is coming in,” Cooper said during a Wednesday morning press conference. “This may be a marathon — not a sprint.” Cooper encouraged people at the coast to leave now, while there is still time to do…

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Hurricane Florence: Road and bridge closures

Hurricane Florence: Road and bridge closures

Bridges expected to close due to hurricane winds (Source: WECT). SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA (WECT) – As Hurricane Florence moves into the area, transportation officials expect a significant number of traffic issues and road closures. Several bridges are also expected to close. WECT will update this list as information becomes available. Bridge Closures Isabel Holmes Bridge: Expected to close when wind speeds reach 30 miles per hour. Ocean Isle Beach Bridge closed Wednesday. Snow’s Cut Bridge closed Wednesday. Wrightsville…

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Thousands without power along the NC coast Thursday as Florence approaches

Thousands without power along the NC coast Thursday as Florence approaches

This story was updated on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Nearly 15,000 N.C. electric cooperative customers were without power Thursday afternoon along the North Carolina coast as the effects of Hurricane Florence hit the Carolinas. Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative reported nearly 13,000 members without power around 4 p.m., according to the co-ops outage map. About 9,400 of those outages were in Carteret County, which includes Morehead City. Tideland Electric Membership Corporation reported another 1,400 members affected, about…

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Live updates: Charlotte remains in Florence’s path for heavy rains, tropical storm wind

Live updates: Charlotte remains in Florence’s path for heavy rains, tropical storm wind

Florence drops to Cat 1, but still ‘life-threatening’ Thursday, 11 p.m.: Florence was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane but was delivering “life-threatening storm surge” along the NC coast, the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. Florence had 90 mph winds, and the “threat of freshwater flooding will increase” in the days ahead, according to the advisory. The storm was about 60 miles east of Wilmington. Islamic Center opens doors to evacuees Thursday, 9:24…

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