Hurricane Florence: Thousands asked to evacuate as 'life-threatening' Category 4 storm moves closer

Hurricane Florence, which was initially gauged as a Category 3 storm, turned into a Category 4 within hours on Monday

PUBLISHED SEP 10, 2018

A Noth Carolina coastal county issued a mandatory evacuation order for its entire population on Monday after Hurricane Florence strengthened to a Category 4 storm, according to reports. The evacuation order considered the hurricane dangerous and was issued following its gradual course towards the US East Coast.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Hurricane Florence is expected to hit the North and South Carolina coasts on Thursday or Friday. The center reported that the storm's winds had increased to 115 mph on Monday and it is expected to continue growing in strength.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Monday said his office is taking the storm seriously and he has already asked President Donald Trump for a federal disaster declaration before the storm hits the state.

In this NOAA satellite handout image, Hurricane Florence is seen heading west and gaining strength in the Atlantic Ocean, Southeast of Bermuda on September 10, 2018. Weather predictions say the storm will likely hit the U.S. East Coast as early as Thursday, September 13 bringing massive winds and rain