Florence made landfall this morning at 7:15am near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. The outer rain-bands continue to produce strong showers and storms. Tornado watch remains in effect. However, Florence will be a major rainmaker and it has been causing life-threatening storm surges in North and South Carolina. Catastrophic river flooding is still expected as Florence will stall and linger for days. 24 hour radar estimates range between 10-15 inches and more is to come. The forecast calls for 20-30 inches of rain and isolated amounts of up to 40 inches through next Tuesday.
On the forecast track, the center of Florence will get nudged South into South Carolina and weaken to a tropical storm. It could be a depression well inland into the weekend and whatever is left of Florence will get picked up by a front to take it Northeast.
Center of the eye of Hurricane #Florence made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Sustained winds at 90mph. @wsvn @7weather pic.twitter.com/GwLpkrI4ll
— Vivian Gonzalez (@VivianGonzalez7) September 14, 2018
Almost 12 inches of rain have fallen in Atlantic Beach based on 24 hour radar estimates due to #Florence. @wsvn @7weather pic.twitter.com/AfzQjoAMhB
— Vivian Gonzalez (@VivianGonzalez7) September 14, 2018
Keep it tuned to your Storm Station, 7News!
Vivian Gonzalez
Meteorologist, AMS Certified
WSVN Channel 7