Flood waters rise, eight killed as Florence dumps ‘epic’ rain on Carolinas

Tropical Storm Florence dumped "epic" amounts of rain on North and South Carolina as it trudged inland on Saturday, knocking out power and causing at least eight deaths as flood waters that have devastated many communities kept rising. Florence's intensity has diminished since it roared ashore along the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast on Friday as a hurricane.

White House takes back seat on briefings during week of Hurricane Florence

President Trump has repeatedly sought to amplify his administration's preparedness for Hurricane Florence, using social media to stress the dangers of remaining in evacuation zones and urge residents of North and South Carolina to heed warnings from FEMA and state-level authorities. While a president can benefit from appearing to be in charge, they have also learned the hard way how politically risky it can be facing questions on disaster response.

Gun stores present a target for looters in hurricanes

As Hurricane Florence clobbers the Carolinas, millions of residents have evacuated, leaving thousands of homes and businesses empty, including an especially attractive target for looters: gun stores. The Carolinas are home to more than 3,300 federally licensed firearms dealers, but with law enforcement stretched thin during the storm and its aftermath, criminals can take advantage.

Dr. Peter Rostenberg

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro listens with state, local and federal officials at a roundtable discussion about efforts to curb the opioid epidemic at the New Haven Police Department in 2016. U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro listens with state, local and federal officials at a roundtable discussion about efforts to curb the opioid epidemic at the New Haven Police Department in 2016.

‘Bigger, Stronger, and More Dangerous’ Than Florence, Super Typhoon Mangkhut Strikes the Philippines

Amid ongoing media coverage about the dangers of Hurricane Florence-which has already killed multiple people in North Carolina-and warnings from extreme weather experts that such storms are made worse by human-caused climate crisis, the " bigger, stronger, and more dangerous " Super Typhoon Mangkhut made landfall early Saturday in the northern Philippines with sustained winds of 165 mph and gusts up to 200 mph.

How Hurricane Florence is affecting Bay Area travelers and what they need to know

This NOAA/RAMMB satellite image taken at 16:30 UTC on September 13, 2018, shows Hurricane Florence beginning to hit the US east coast. - Winds and waves began battering the Carolinas on Thursday as officials warned that Hurricane Florence - while weakening slightly - remains a "very dangerous storm" capable of wreaking havoc along a wide swathe of the US East Coast."

The Latest: N. Carolina city has 150 people awaiting rescue

The Goose Creek shelter is one of the primary shelters for many Charleston area residents who have evacuated their homes in response to approaching tropical weather in South Carolina. A North Carolina city situated between two rivers says it has around 150 people waiting to be rescued from rising flood waters from Hurricane Florence.

White House defends Pres. Trump on Puerto Rico death toll claim

As Hurricane Florence bore down on the U.S., President Donald Trump angrily churned up the devastating storm of a year earlier, disputing the official death count from Hurricane Maria and falsely accusing Democrats of inflating the Puerto Rican toll to make him "look as bad as possible." Public health experts have estimated that nearly 3,000 perished because of the effects of Maria.

Florence posing fatal threat for days

It's about the water, not the wind, with Hurricane Florence making an extended stay along the North Carolina coast. Forecasters say "it cannot be emphasized enough that the most serious hazard associated with slow-moving Florence is extremely heavy rainfall, which will cause disastrous flooding that will be spreading inland."

Time running out’ for residents to escape Hurricane Florence

US emergency officials have warned "time is running out" for people to escape from Hurricane Florence as outer bands of wind and rain began lashing North Carolina. Florence's winds have dropped from a peak of 140mph to 105mph, reducing the hurricane from a Category 4 to a Category 2. But forecasters warned that the widening storm - and the likelihood of it lingering around the coast for days - would bring seawater surging on to land and torrential downpours.

Threat becomes reality as Hurricane Florence closes in

Hurricane Florence's leading edge battered the Carolina coast on Thursday, as the hulking storm closed in with 105 mph winds for a drenching siege that could last all weekend. Forecasters said conditions would only get more lethal as the storm pushes ashore early Friday near the North Carolina-South Carolina line and makes its way slowly inland.

North Carolina feels first bite of mammoth Hurricane Florence

Coastal North Carolina felt the first bite of Hurricane Florence on Thursday as winds began to rise, a prelude to the slow-moving tempest that forecasters warn could cause catastrophic flooding across parts of the US southeast. The centre of Florence is expected to hit North Carolina's southern coast on Friday, then drift southwest before moving inland on Saturday, enough time to drop feet of rain, according to the National Hurricane Centre.

The Latest: Police chief warns: No one to call in the storm

Federal emergency officials at a Washington briefing are urging people to treat Hurricane Florence seriously even though its top sustained winds are down to 110 mph , which makes it a Category 2 storm. They say it remains very large and very dangerous, bringing more than 30 inches of rain to the coast and heavy winds that will impact a giant swath of land.

a Threat becomes realitya : Florence begins days of rain, wind

Mostly deserted, much of downtown Charleston, S.C. is boarded up and closed on Thursday in advance of Hurricane Florence. Hurricane Florence's leading edge battered the Carolina coast Thursday, bending trees and shooting frothy sea water over streets on the Outer Banks, as the hulking storm closed in with 105 mph winds for a drenching siege that could last all weekend.