CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ The path of Hurricane Florence is still set squarely on the Carolinas, but early Wednesday morning, the storm's path shifted south and west, encompassing more of South Carolina and western North Carolina.
The "probable" forecast path for Florence, a Category 4 hurricane, as of 5 a.m. Wednesday showed the storm shifting further toward the southern North Carolina coast and the northern half of the South Carolina coast, with the forecast cone stretching into Georgia, western North Carolina and Tennessee, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Meanwhile, the projections for rain are growing, adding to growing concerns about flooding across the two states: Coastal North Carolina now expects 20 to 30 inches, with isolated areas of 40 inches projected in South Carolina.
"We cannot stress this enough, Florence poses a very serious threat to people who live far away from the coast," said a National Weather Service tweet late Tuesday. "Heavy and long-lasting rainfall could lead to catastrophic flooding in inland parts of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia."
Florence is continuing to move west-northwest at 17 mph, with winds in the 130 mph range, but is giving hints of deviations, says the National Hurricane Center.
That is causing the so called "cone of uncertainty" to expand. Coastal areas in both Carolinas have taken steps to evacuate residents and tourists, including a mandatory evacuation in South Carolina.
Hurricane-force winds (74 to 95 mph) are currently extending out up to 70 miles from the center of the storm, and tropical-storm-force winds are being felt as much as 175 miles around the storm.
Tropical storm force winds are in the 39 mph to 73 mph range, says NOAA. Hurricane conditions are expected to reach the Carolinas on Friday, says the National Hurricane Center, but tropical force winds are expected to show up somewhere along the coast late Wednesday or Thursday morning.
The National Hurricane Center is predicting the storm will produce "catastrophic flash flooding and significant river flooding."
The path of the storm is still set squarely on the Carolinas, but early Wednesday morning, the storm's path shifted south and west, encompassing more of South Carolina and western North Carolina.
"Florence is forecast to be an extremely dangerous major hurricane as it approaches the U.S. coast," the NHC said.
There is increased fear that Florence "will slow considerably or stall, leading to a prolonged and exceptionally heavy and dangerous rainfall event Friday-Sunday," the NHC said Tuesday.
Storm surge is also expected to produce "life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, during the next 36 hours in the indicated locations," says the National Hurricane Center.
The ocean is moving inland ahead of Florence as storm surge begins to flood the Carolinas coast, according to the NHC.
The water could reach as high as 9 to 13 feet "from Cape Fear to Cape Lookout, including the Neuse, Pamlico, Pungo and Bay Rivers."
From North Myrtle Beach to Cape Fear, and Cape Lookout to the Ocracoke Inlet, water could rise 6 to 9 feet.
From the Ocracoke Inlet to the North Carolina-Virginia border and from the South Santee River to North Myrtle Beach, the NHC forecast that water could rise as high as 6 feet.
Water could reach as high as 4 feet from Edisto Beach to the South Santee River.
"The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast in areas of onshore winds, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves," the NHC said.
"Heavy and excessive rainfall" of 20 to 30 inches is predicted along coastal North Carolina, with isolated spots of 40 inches. The Appalachians could see 3 to 6 inches of rain, with isolated areas of 12 inches.
In South Carolina, 10 inches is expected, with isolated areas of 20 inches, says the National Hurricane Center.
Other mid-Atlantic states "late this week into early next week," the NHC said.
"This rainfall would produce catastrophic flash flooding and significant river flooding."
