A video posted on Twitter by North Carolina resident Jeff Gammons shows houses surrounded by water as Hurricane Florence begins to cause significant damage on the US East Coast.
The latest predictions have the hurricane landing off the coast, pushing strong winds and heavy rains into North Carolina.
Florence has just ripped through the area close to Bermuda, where it triggered significant storm swells and rip tides which posed a threat to life as they hit the coast.
Now residents of North Carolina have begun seeing flash flooding as over a foot of rain has been forecasted to fall over the state.
An NOAA reporting station reported a sustained wind of 55mph and a gust to 70mph at Cape Lookout, North California.
Conditions have already begun to deteriorate in North Carolina’s Outer Banks island and the state’s southeastern coast.
Residents have been warned of heavy and excessive rainfall tipped to be life-threatening, as it will trigger both flash flooding and cause rivers to burst their banks.
Storm surges are perhaps some of the most dramatic effects of the oncoming system, where waves approaching 10 feet in most places will endanger lives.
At their highest, storm surges will advance well into the land of North Carolina, with heights of 9-13 ft from Cape Fear NC to Cape Lookout NC.
Hurricane Florence has been downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane wind maximum sustained winds of 105mph but still remains a massive threat to lives and property.
NOAA’s latest advisory also reports of a tornado threat as the weather system is approaching land: “A few tornadoes are possible in eastern North Carolina through Friday,” the report told.
The centre of the extremely dangerous storm is currently located about 130 miles east-southeast of Wilmington, North California and 185 miles east of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
NOAA’s most recent report said: “On the forecast track, the centre of Florence will approach the coasts of North and South Carolina later today.”
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper sent a stark warning to residents and said: “North Carolina, my message is clear: Disaster is at the doorstep, and it’s coming in.
“You could be putting your life and the lives of first responders in danger.
“If you are under an evacuation order and you haven’t left, the time to leave is now.”
The official noted that up to one million residents in North Carolina have been told to evacuate, and stressed that it is not too late to leave now.