National Hurricane Center Updates Current Status of Tropical Storm Florence

The National Hurricane Center has revealed its latest projections for Tropical Storm Florence.

In an update published at 5:33 a.m. ET on Saturday, the agency said that the storm is currently striking South Carolina and has a path through the in-land charted for the next few days.

Along with this projection, NHC warned of “life-threatening” storm surges and floods throughout both North Carolina and South Carolina.

The surges will be most harmful in North Carolina, with rain and flooding also making the dangerously high water levels even worse.

“Life-threatening storm surge will continue along portions of the North Carolina coast through today, and also along the Neuse and Pamlico Sound, where rainfall and fresh water flooding will also contribute to high water levels,” the update read. “Dangerous storm surge could also affect portions of the northeast coast of South Carolina coast today.”

The flooding in both affected coastal states will continue in the coming days as Florence continues to work its way into the mainland from the coast. A side effect of this could be landslides, making a perilous situation even worse in some regions.

“Life-threatening, catastrophic flash floods and prolonged significant river flooding are likely over portions of the Carolinas and the southern to central Appalachians from western North Carolina into west-central Virginia through early next week, as Florence moves slowly inland,” the NHC statement read. “In addition to the flash flood and flooding threat, landslides are also possible in the higher terrain of the southern and central Appalachians across western North Carolina in southwest Virginia.”

The NHC also advised that general tropical storm conditions will be present in the region even in areas not at risk of flooding. Bermuda and parts of the east coast will also be experiencing “life-threatening surf and rip currents.”

Zooming out to the full projection, the core of the storm is slated to enter North Carolina around 2 p.m. ET on Sunday. It will then cross through eastern Tennessee and Virginia as reaches Kentucky by 2 a.m. ET Monday.

Florence will then turn back towards the eastern U.S. coast, making its way to Pennsylvania by 2 a.m. ET Tuesday. Current projection slate that the tropical storm will out to sea near the New England region by 2 a.m. ET on Wednesday. By 2 a.m. ET on Thursday, Florence should be clear of the U.S. and affecting the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.