Georgia Not Expected To Feel Florence's Wrath, If It Doesn't Turn

Dozens of counties along the East Coast are under mandatory evacuation orders as Hurricane Florence approaches landfall. The category 4 hurricane is expected to bring dangerous storm surges to the coastlines of Georgia's neighboring states, and while the storm's impact on our state is expectedly to be minor, that could change if the storm moves south. The storm is packing winds of up to 130 mph as it barrels its way towards the east coast.

In its latest advisory, the National Hurricane Center said Florence is expected to begin restrengthening later in the day on Tuesday and "continue a slow strengthening trend for the next day or so." The NHC forecasts that the hurricane is expected to weaken on Thursday but cautioned that it is expected to be "an extremely dangerous major hurricane through landfall."

A storm surge watch and a hurricane watch is in effect from Edisto Beach in South Carolina to the North Carolina/Virginia border. Tropical storm-force winds could arrive in the U.S. late Wednesday at the earliest and most likely on Thursday morning, according to the NHC, which added that Wednesday should be the last full day for residents to prepare for the hurricane.

The earliest reasonable time that tropical-storm-force winds could arrive in the United States from Florence is late Wednesday, and the most likely time is Thursday morning. Wednesday should be the last full day to prepare.

Dangerous storm surges from the system are likely, along with prolonged rainfall as the storm moves inland, and residents are being told to closely monitor the forecast.

Hurricane watches and storm surge watches are up Tuesday for the Carolinas to the Virginia border, with high winds and rising water expected in the next 48 hours.

"Florence is expected to be an extremely dangerous major hurricane through Thursday night," the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday morning.

Forecasts call for torrential rains, tropical storm force winds, and tidal flooding/storm surge to affect the state beginning as early as Thursday, the governor's office said, while landfall in the Carolinas is expected at 2 a.m. Friday. "While some weakening is expected on Thursday, Florence is expected to be an extremely dangerous major hurricane through landfall," the NHC said.

Image National Hurricane Center