All the highways in North and South Carolina and Virginia are congested after the mandatory evacuation order is issued. Millions of residents in the 3 states are trying to get out as soon as possible before the hurricane arrive. According to the forecast, Washington may get rain for up to 6 days if there is a change on the path of Hurricane Florence. If this happen, Washington may get some flooding.
Gov. Ray Cooper told the press that Hurricane Florence is going to be a big hurricane that threatens lives and make history record. He keep emphasizing that there are a lot of potentials for the wind to cause damages and flooding. It is estimated that the storm will arrive early in the morning of Friday before 5 am. If the storm is powerful, it could cause Carolina to have power outages that last for weeks.
Many people are expected to be displaced from their coastal homes. Many places inland are also at risk of getting flooded. The heavy rain will flood the manure pits and cause contaminated water to enter into the houses.
There is the 80 first responders team and the Maryland Task Force One that are prepared to help residents in South Carolina when the flood comes. They are equipped with all the rescue supplies such as boat, suitcases, and water cases. They are leaving at 6 am in the morning on Wednesday.
Some weather factors will cause Florence to linger in Carolina for many days. The longer Florence stay in Carolina, the higher the amount of precipitation it will stall. Ken Graham, the director of National Hurricane says that more rain also mean more trees are going to fall and longer power outages. Many places in the south of Virginia including Roanoke, Danville, and Farmville will be expecting up to 15 inches of rain when Hurricane Florence arrive.
Many waterfront areas in George town and Alexandria are already flooded since Sunday. Coastal flood advisory will take effect starting on Wednesday in selected regions like Anne Arundel, St. Mary’s counties, and Falls Church. Flood warnings have been issued in Loudoun, Fairfax and Maryland on Wednesday. Chief Scott E. Goldstein advises the people to take all the necessary steps.
Federal Aid is now available after President Donald Trump declared state of emergency. Gov. Ralph Northam has make a mandatory evacuation announcement on low lying coastal areas in Virginia. The state officials have also gone on to warn residents all over the state to prepare for the storm.
On Tuesday, the US Department has also announced a public health emergency for North Carolina and South Carolina. Residents can make use of their Medicare and Medicaid coverage during the landfall.
