PHOTOS: Florence lashes East Coast

WASHINGTON — Hurricane Florence strengthened into a potentially catastrophic storm barreling toward North and South Carolina.

It has prompted states of emergency up and down the mid-Atlantic region. The National Hurricane Center warned that Florence was forecast to linger over the Carolinas once it reaches shore.

People living well inland should prepare to lose power and endure flooding and other hazards.

See satellite photos of the monster storm and how people in its path are preparing.

Residents walk in flooded streets in the historic downtown area as the Neuse River begins to flood its banks during Hurricane Florence September 13, 2018 in New Bern, United States. Coastal cities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virgnia are under evacuation orders as the Category 2 hurricane approaches the United States. — Residents walk in flooded streets in the historic downtown area as the Neuse River begins to flood its banks during Hurricane Florence September 13, 2018 in New Bern. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

RIVER BEND, NC - SEPTEMBER 13: The Trent River (background) overflows its banks and floods a neighborhood during Hurricane Florence September 13, 2018 in River Bend, North Carolina. Some parts of River Bend and the neighboring New Bern could be flooded with a possible 9-foot storm surge as the Category 2 hurricane approaches the United States. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) — The Trent River (background) overflows its banks and floods a neighborhood during Hurricane Florence September 13, 2018 in River Bend, North Carolina. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

RIVER BEND, NC - SEPTEMBER 13: A truck drives through deep water after the Neuse River went over its banks and flooded the street during Hurricane Florence September 13, 2018 in River Bend, North Carolina. Some parts of New Bern could be flooded with a possible 9-foot storm surge as the Category 2 hurricane approaches the United States. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) — A truck drives through deep water after the Neuse River went over its banks and flooded the street during Hurricane Florence September 13, 2018 in River Bend, North Carolina. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WILMINGTON, NC - SEPTEMBER 13: Josh Honeycutt runs to his car after picking up food at Waffle House, as the effects of Hurricane Florence start to hit the area, on September 13, 2018 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Hurricane Florence is expected on early Friday as a possible category 2 storm along the North Carolina and South Carolina coastline. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) — Josh Honeycutt runs to his car after picking up food at Waffle House, as the effects of Hurricane Florence start to hit the area, on September 13, 2018 in Wilmington, North Carolina. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

NEW BERN, NC - SEPTEMBER 13: Residents wade through deep floodwater to retrieve belongings from the Trent Court public housing apartments after the Neuse River went over its banks during Hurricane Florence September 13, 2018 in New Bern, United States. Coastal cities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia are under evacuation orders as the Category 2 hurricane approaches the United States. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) — Residents wade through deep floodwater to retrieve belongings from the Trent Court public housing apartments after the Neuse River went over its banks during Hurricane Florence September 13, 2018 in New Bern. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

ATLANTIC BEACH, NC - SEPTEMBER 13: Portions of a boat dock and boardwalk are destroyed by powerful wind and waves as Hurricane Florence arrives September 13, 2018 in Atlantic Beach, United States. Coastal cities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia are under evacuation orders as the Category 2 hurricane approaches the United States. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) — Portions of a boat dock and boardwalk are destroyed by powerful wind and waves as Hurricane Florence arrives September 13, 2018 at Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

NEW BERN, NC - SEPTEMBER 13: Diamond Dillahunt, 2-year-old Ta-Layah Koonce and Shkoel Collins survey the flooding at the Trent Court public housing apartments after the Neuse River topped its banks during Hurricane Florence September 13, 2018 in New Bern, United States. Coastal cities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia are under evacuation orders as the Category 2 hurricane approaches the United States. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) — Diamond Dillahunt, 2-year-old Ta-Layah Koonce and Shkoel Collins survey the flooding at the Trent Court public housing apartments after the Neuse River topped its banks during Hurricane Florence September 13, 2018 in New Bern. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

NEW BERN, NC - SEPTEMBER 13: A transh can floats through the Trent Court public housing apartments after the Neuse River topped its banks during Hurricane Florence September 13, 2018 in New Bern, North Carolina. Coastal cities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia are under evacuation orders as the Category 2 hurricane approaches the United States. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) — A trash can floats through the Trent Court public housing apartments after the Neuse River topped its banks during Hurricane Florence September 13, 2018 in New Bern, North Carolina. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Residents walk in flooded streets in the historic downtown area as the Neuse River begins to flood its banks during Hurricane Florence on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 in New Bern, North Carolina. (Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla) — Residents walk in flooded streets in the historic downtown area as the Neuse River begins to flood its banks during Hurricane Florence on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 in New Bern, North Carolina. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

NEW BERN, NC - SEPTEMBER 13: A sign warns people away from Union Point Park after is was flooded by the Neuse River during Hurricane Florence September 13, 2018 in New Bern, North Carolina. Coastal cities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia are under evacuation orders as the Category 2 hurricane approaches the United States. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) — A sign warns people away from Union Point Park after it is was flooded by the Neuse River during Hurricane Florence on Sept. 13, 2018 in New Bern, North Carolina. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Waves slam the Oceana Pier & Pier House Restaurant in Atlantic Beach, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 as Hurricane Florence approaches the area. (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP)

Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP

Waves from Hurricane Florence pound the Bogue Inlet Pier in Emerald Isle N.C., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Tom Copeland)

AP Photo/Tom Copeland

Ocean water rushes down Cape Hatteras Pier Drive in Frisco, N.C., on Hatteras Island as the effects of Hurricane Florence reach the area on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (Steve Earley /The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

Steve Earley /The Virginian-Pilot via AP

Ocean waters rushes down Hwy 12 in Frisco, N.C., on Hatteras Island as the effects of Hurricane Florence breach the dune line on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (Steve Earley /The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

Steve Earley /The Virginian-Pilot via AP

Waves slam the Oceana Pier & Pier House Restaurant in Atlantic Beach, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 as Hurricane Florence approaches the area. (Travis Long /The News & Observer via AP)

Travis Long /The News & Observer via AP

Isle of Palms Fire Chief Ann Graham, at left, and Isle of Palms police officer Thomas Molino III raise a tropical storm warning flag over the Isle of Palms Connector shortly after Charleston County, S.C., went under a tropical storm warning due to Hurricane Florence Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, in Isle of Palms, S.C. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

AP Photo/Mic Smith

In this Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, photo Mercedes O’Neill, right, her 6-year-old daughter Sophie, her boyfriend Kelly Johnson, left and neighbor Shawn Dalton on ladder put plywood on the window of their home in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. O’Neill thought a long time about evacuating from Hurricane Florence but decided they couldn’t afford it. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins

Bob Bowman, from Virginia Beach, Va., gets some air as he kiteboards, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, in Virginia Beach, Va., as Hurricane Florence moves towards the eastern shore. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Florence off the eastern coast of the United States on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (NOAA via AP)

NOAA via AP

Dark clouds hang off the beach of Hatteras Village at the south end of Hatteras Island, NC., on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Visitors and many island residents have evacuated because of Hurricane Florence approaching the coast. (Steve Earley /The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

Steve Earley /The Virginian-Pilot via AP

Barbara Timberlake walks with her dog Danny past a boarded up store on the river front in downtown Wilmington, N.C., as Hurricane Florence threatens the coast Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

AP Photo/Chuck Burton

An onlooker checks out the heavy surf at the Avalon Fishing Pier in Kill Devil Hills, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 as Hurricane Florence approaches the east coast. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

AP Photo/Gerry Broome

Waves crash under the Avalon Fishing Pier in Kill Devil Hills, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 as Hurricane Florence approaches the east coast. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Patrick Wells looks out over the Atlantic ocean at the Avalon Fishing Pier in Kill Devil Hills, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 as Hurricane Florence approaches the east coast. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

People walk the beach in Kill Devil Hills, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 as Hurricane Florence approaches the east coast. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Police patrol past boarded up shops along the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, as Hurricane Florence approaches the east coast. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

AP Photo/David Goldman

A National Guardsman directs traffic onto U.S. Highway 501 as Hurricane Florence approaches the East Coast Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, near Conway, S.C. Time is running short to get out of the way of Hurricane Florence, a monster of a storm that has a region of more than 10 million people in its potentially devastating sights. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)

Members of law enforcement help a driver with directions on U.S. 501 as Hurricane Florence approaches the East Coast, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, near Conway, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)

Sand bags surround homes on North Topsail Beach, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, as Hurricane Florence threatens the coast. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Body surfer Andrew Vanotteren, of Savannah, Ga., crashes into waves from Hurricane Florence, Wednesday, Sept., 12, 2018, on the south beach of Tybee Island, Ga. Vanotteren and his friend Bailey Gaddis said the waves have gotten bigger and better every evening as the storm approaches. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

Brady Osborne ties freshly filled sandbags, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, in Virginia Beach, Va., as Hurricane Florence moves towards the eastern shore. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Giovanni Rivera, left, and Nuvia Rivera fill a sandbag, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, in Virginia Beach, Va., as Hurricane Florence moves towards the eastern shore. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

A Virginia Beach, Va., resident moves a sandbag before loading it in his truck, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, in Virginia Beach, Va., as Hurricane Florence moves towards the eastern shore. The National Hurricane Center's projected track had Florence hovering off the southern North Carolina coast from Thursday night until landfall Saturday morning or so, about a day later than previously expected. The track also shifted somewhat south and west, throwing Georgia into peril as Florence moves inland. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) — A Virginia Beach, Va., resident moves a sandbag before loading it in his truck, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, in Virginia Beach, Va., as Hurricane Florence moves towards the eastern shore. The National Hurricane Center’s projected track had Florence hovering off the southern North Carolina coast from Thursday night until landfall Saturday morning or so, about a day later than previously expected. The track also shifted somewhat south and west, throwing Georgia into peril as Florence moves inland. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

NAGS HEAD, NC - SEPTEMBER 12: Charlotte Miller and Lilly Miller (L-R) visit the beach ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Florence on September 12, 2018 in Nags Head, North Carolina. Hurricane Florence is expected on Friday possibly as a category 4 storm along the Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina coastline. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) — Charlotte Miller and Lilly Miller (L-R) visit the beach ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Florence on September 12, 2018 in Nags Head, North Carolina. Hurricane Florence is expected on Friday possibly as a category 4 storm along the Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina coastline. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

People line up outside a Home Depot for a new supply of generators and plywood in advance of Hurricane Florence in Wilmington, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Florence exploded into a potentially catastrophic hurricane Monday as it closed in on North and South Carolina, carrying winds up to 140 mph (220 kph) and water that could wreak havoc over a wide stretch of the eastern United States later this week. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Sarah Dankanich, right, removes an "out of service" wrapper from a gas pump as her husband prepares to pump gas in cans in advance of Hurricane Florence in Wilmington, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Florence exploded into a potentially catastrophic hurricane Monday as it closed in on North and South Carolina, carrying winds up to 140 mph (220 kph) and water that could wreak havoc over a wide stretch of the eastern United States later this week. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) — Sarah Dankanich, right, removes an “out of service” wrapper from a gas pump as her husband prepares to pump gas in cans in advance of Hurricane Florence in Wilmington, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Florence exploded into a potentially catastrophic hurricane Monday as it closed in on North and South Carolina, carrying winds up to 140 mph (220 kph) and water that could wreak havoc over a wide stretch of the eastern United States later this week. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

A woman stands in the surf and looks at the clouds at sunrise as Hurricane Florence approaches in Wrightsville Beach, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Paula Baker carries flowers she'll leave on her son's grave that she plans on visiting after evacuating her home in Atlantic Beach, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, as Hurricane Florence approaches the east coast. (AP Photo/David Goldman) — Paula Baker carries flowers she’ll leave on her son’s grave that she plans on visiting after evacuating her home in Atlantic Beach, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, as Hurricane Florence approaches the east coast. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Andrew Lingle walks along the beach at sunrise as Hurricane Florence approaches the east coast in Atlantic Beach, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

People walk the beach as the early morning sun streaks through clouds on the beach at the Isle of Palms, S.C., as Hurricane Florence spins out in the Atlantic ocean Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The National Weather Service says Hurricane Florence "will likely be the storm of a lifetime for portions of the Carolina coast." (AP Photo/Mic Smith) — People walk the beach as the early morning sun streaks through clouds on the beach at the Isle of Palms, S.C., as Hurricane Florence spins out in the Atlantic ocean Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The National Weather Service says Hurricane Florence “will likely be the storm of a lifetime for portions of the Carolina coast.” (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

A paddle boarder gets in some exercise in the early morning off the beach at the Isle of Palms, S.C., as Hurricane Florence spins out in the Atlantic ocean Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The National Weather Service says Hurricane Florence "will likely be the storm of a lifetime for portions of the Carolina coast." (AP Photo/Mic Smith) — A paddle boarder gets in some exercise in the early morning off the beach at the Isle of Palms, S.C., as Hurricane Florence spins out in the Atlantic ocean Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The National Weather Service says Hurricane Florence “will likely be the storm of a lifetime for portions of the Carolina coast.” (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

Chris and Nicole Roland walk down a beach in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The couple boarded up their uncle's condominium and are leaving soon as Hurricane Florence approaches. (AP Photo/Jeffery Collins) — Chris and Nicole Roland walk down a beach in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. The couple boarded up their uncle’s condominium and are leaving soon as Hurricane Florence approaches. (AP Photo/Jeffery Collins)

Russell Meadows, left, helps neighbor Rob Muller board up his home ahead of Hurricane Florence in Morehead City, N.C., Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. Florence exploded into a potentially catastrophic hurricane Monday as it closed in on North and South Carolina, carrying winds up to 140 mph (220 kph) and water that could wreak havoc over a wide stretch of the eastern United States later this week. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Emmett West pulls his boat from a nearby marina to secure it at his home ahead Hurricane Florence in Morehead City, N.C., Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. Florence exploded into a potentially catastrophic hurricane Monday as it closed in on North and South Carolina, carrying winds up to 140 mph (220 kph) and water that could wreak havoc over a wide stretch of the eastern United States later this week. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Sailors cast off mooring lines to the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018, as the ship evacuates Naval Station Norfolk in preparation for Hurricane Florence. Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command ordered all U.S. Navy ships in the Hampton Roads area to sortie on Sept. 10, ahead of Hurricane Florence. There are nearly 30 ships preparing to get underway from Naval Station Norfolk and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek as Hurricane Florence is forecasted to bring high winds and rain to the Mid-Atlantic coast. Ships will be directed to areas of the Atlantic where they will be best postured for storm avoidance. (Jennifer Hunt/U.S. Navy via AP)

A South Carolina state trooper directs traffic as D.O.T. workers move cones at an access ramp to I-26 Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018, in Columbia, S.C. A lane reversal was implemented earlier in the day, utilizing all lanes for travel west between Charleston and Columbia in anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)

MYRTLE BEACH, SC - SEPTEMBER 11: Jeff Bryant (L) and James Evans board the windows of a business ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Florence on September 11, 2018 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Florence is expected to make landfall by late Thursday to near Category 5 strength along the Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina coastline. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) — MYRTLE BEACH, SC – SEPTEMBER 11: Jeff Bryant (L) and James Evans board the windows of a business ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Florence on September 11, 2018 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Florence is expected to make landfall by late Thursday to near Category 5 strength along the Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina coastline. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

MYRTLE BEACH, SC - SEPTEMBER 11: A store's bread shelves are bare as people stock up on food ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Florence on September 11, 2018 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Florence, already packing 130 mph winds, is expected to make landfall by late Thursday at near Category 5 strength along the Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina coastline. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) — MYRTLE BEACH, SC – SEPTEMBER 11: A store’s bread shelves are bare as people stock up on food ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Florence on September 11, 2018 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Florence, already packing 130 mph winds, is expected to make landfall by late Thursday at near Category 5 strength along the Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina coastline. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC- SEPTEMBER 11: Local resident Dave Collins shovels sand into a bag while the coastal area is preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Florence on September 11, 2018 in Wrightsville Beach, United States. Hurricane Florence is expected on Friday possibly as a category 4 storm along the Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina coastline. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Empty shelves at a Food Lion grocery store in Morehead, North Carolina Sept. 11, 2018 as Hurricane Florence churns toward the coast. (WTOP/Steve Dresner)

A marina in Morehead, North Carolina, taking boats to dry-dock Sept. 11, 2018 as Hurricane Florence churns toward the coast. (WTOP/Steve Dresner)

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC- SEPTEMBER 11: Hurricane Party is written on plywood covering the window of the Lager Heads Tavern as they prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Florence on September 11, 2018 in Wrightsville Beach, United States. Hurricane Florence is expected on Friday possibly as a category 4 storm along the Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina coastline. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

MYRTLE BEACH, SC - SEPTEMBER 11: PFC. Traequan Shaw of the South Carolina National Guard directs traffic onto US 501 as the South Carolina government ordered that traffic use all the lanes on the route leading away from the coast to facilitate the evacuation of people ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Florence on September 11, 2018 in Myrtle Beach, United States. Hurricane Florence is expected to arrive on Friday, possibly as a category 4 storm along the Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina coastline. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) — MYRTLE BEACH, SC – SEPTEMBER 11: PFC. Traequan Shaw of the South Carolina National Guard directs traffic onto US 501 as the South Carolina government ordered that traffic use all the lanes on the route leading away from the coast to facilitate the evacuation of people ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Florence on September 11, 2018 in Myrtle Beach, United States. Hurricane Florence is expected to arrive on Friday, possibly as a category 4 storm along the Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina coastline. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

CORRECTS DATE - Preston Guiher carries a sheet of plywood as he prepares to board up a Wells Fargo bank in preparation for Hurricane Florence in downtown Charleston, S.C., Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Mic Smith) — Preston Guiher carries a sheet of plywood as he prepares to board up a Wells Fargo bank in preparation for Hurricane Florence in downtown Charleston, S.C., Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

President Donald Trump looks at a chart showing potential rainfall totals from Hurricane Florence during a briefing in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Donald Trump, right, and Vice President Mike Pence, left, listen during a briefing on Hurricane Florence in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Adam Bazemore places sandbags in the doorways, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018, in the Willoughby Spit area of Norfolk, Va., as he makes preparations for Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Seth Bazemore IV, center moves sandbags, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018, in the Willoughby Spit area of Norfolk, Va., as they make preparations for Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

A gas station in Mt. Pleasant S.C. alerts motorist that it is out of gas due to the heavy demand caused by Hurricane Florence Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

A Walmart in Mt. Pleasant, S.C, is closed, and barricaded, after Gov. Henry McMaster ordered a mandatory evacuation due to Hurricane Florence Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

Derek Mundy, left, and Kris Crouse boards up the Confederate House in preparation for Hurricane Florence in downtown Charleston, S.C., Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

People drive over a drawbridge in Wrightsville Beach, N.C., as they evacuate the area in advance of Hurricane Florence, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. Florence exploded into a potentially catastrophic hurricane Monday as it closed in on North and South Carolina, carrying winds up to 140 mph (220 kph) and water that could wreak havoc over a wide stretch of the eastern United States later this week. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Police cars block the Ashley Phosphate Road exit ramp off Interstate 26 in North Charleston, S.C., as both sides of the highway flow westbound toward Columbia, S.C., Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018, in preparation for Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

Jim Carter and Rob Quinn board up Lagerheads Tavern in Wrightsville Beach, N.C. as they prepare for Hurricane Florence Monday, Sept. 10, 2018. Hurricane Florence now a category 3 hurricane is expected to make land fall somewhere along the North Carolina coastline towards the end of the week. (Ken Blevins /The Star-News via AP)

Ken Blevins /The Star-News via AP

Chris Brace, from Charleston, S.C. lowers hurricane shutters on a client's house in preparation for Hurricane Florence at Sullivan's Island, S.C., Monday, Sept. 10, 2018. Brace said that after S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster ordered an evacuation the property owner asked for the house to be boarded up. (AP Photo/Mic Smith) — Chris Brace, from Charleston, S.C. lowers hurricane shutters on a client’s house in preparation for Hurricane Florence at Sullivan’s Island, S.C., Monday, Sept. 10, 2018. Brace said that after S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster ordered an evacuation the property owner asked for the house to be boarded up. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

Walker Townsend, at right, from the Isle of Palms, S.C., fills a sand bag while Dalton Trout, in center, holds the bag at the Isle of Palms municipal lot where the city was giving away free sand in preparation for Hurricane Florence at the Isle of Palms S.C., Monday, Sept. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

Walker Townsend, at left, from the Isle of Palms, S.C., fills a sand bag while Dalton Trout, at right, holds the bag at the Isle of Palms municipal lot where the city was giving away free sand in preparation for Hurricane Florence at the Isle of Palms S.C., Monday, Sept. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

Residents of the Isle of Palms, S.C., fill sand bags at the Isle of Palms municipal lot where the city was giving away free sand in preparation for Hurricane Florence at the Isle of Palms S.C., Monday, Sept. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

Larry Pierson, from the Isle of Palms, S.C., purchases bottled water from the Harris Teeter grocery store on the Isle of Palms in preparation for Hurricane Florence at the Isle of Palms S.C., Monday, Sept. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

This photo provided by NASA shows Hurricane Florence from the International Space Station on Monday, Sept. 10, 2018, as it threatens the U.S. East Coast. Forecasters said Florence could become an extremely dangerous major hurricane sometime Monday and remain that way for days. (NASA via AP)

NASA via AP

Jim Craig, David Burke and Chris Rayner load generators as people buy supplies at The Home Depot on Monday, Sept. 10, 2018, in Wilmington, N.C. Hurricane Florence rapidly strengthened into a potentially catastrophic hurricane on Monday as it closed in on North and South Carolina, carrying winds and water that could wreak havoc over a wide stretch of the eastern United States later this week. (Ken Blevins/The Star-News via AP)