Hurricane Florence Begins Battering North Carolina

Hurricane Florence, the enormous and life-threatening Category 2 storm, has begun its assault on the North Carolina coast. The storms are bringing torrential downpours, wind gusts of more than 100 mph and several tornado warnings throughout the state.

Flooding already was being reported in waterfront towns such as Wilmington and New Bern, preceding a surge the National Weather Service said could reach 12 feet. Although the storm isn’t expected to make landfall until Friday, 27,000 Duke Energy Corp. customers have already lost power - and could be without it for days or weeks.

A weather observation site in Cape Lookout, NC, reported sustained winds of 83 mph and a peak gust of 106 mph Thursday evening. A gauge in Oriental, NC, on the Neuse River is recording water levels more than 5 feet above normal.

In New Bern, rising waters forced WCTI-TV to sign off the air and hand off coverage to its sister station in Myrtle Beach. The final two people in the building were the station’s meteorologists, according to a tweet announcing the evacuation.

In Sneads Ferry, high winds caused a gas station pump to tip over but no injuries were reported. Structural damage also occurred at a service station in Morehead City.

Florence is expected to bring a life-threatening storm surge to portions of eastern North and South Carolina, according to the National Weather Service. Catastrophic flash flooding and prolonged significant river flooding are likely over portions of the Carolinas and the southern and central Appalachians.

The National Hurricane Center is predicting 20 inches to 30 inches of rain in parts of North and South Carolina, with 40 inches possible in isolated areas. The National Weather Service has said nearly 5 million people could experience at least 10 inches of rain over the next several days.

Here’s how much rain is expected to fall through Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center:

Related coverage:

• Hurricane Florence Turns South: What It Means For NC

• Hurricane Florence: How North Carolina Can Prepare

• NC Residents Advised To Review Homeowners Insurance Now

• Where To Find Gas In NC: Hurricane Florence Evacuation

• Hurricane Florence Prep: How To Keep Kids Safe And Calm

• NC State Will Not Play Football Game Saturday Due To Florence

• List: North Carolina Schools Closing Due To Hurricane Florence

• 'This Storm Is A Monster': NC Governor Orders Coastal Evacuation

• Hurricane Florence Threatens Pigs, Catastrophic Waste Spills

• Freeze Your Leftovers And Other Tips Ahead Of Hurricane Florence

• Duke Energy: Florence Will Leave Millions Without Power For Weeks

Photo of flooding Thursday in New Bern, NC: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

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