Hurricane Florence's winds and rain begin lashing US Carolinas coast

The outer bands of wind and rain from Hurricane Florence began lashing North Carolina this morning as the monster storm moved in for an extended stay along the Southeastern coast, promising to drench the properties of 10 million people with immense amounts of water.

Florence's top sustained wind speeds dropped from a high of 225kmh to 175kmh as its outer rain bands approached the North Carolina coast early yesterday.

That reduced the winds' destructive power from Category 4 to Category 2, but forecasters warned that the widening storm, and its likelihood of lingering along the coast day after day after day, raises the risk of surging ocean water and torrential rain.

[Source:Stuff.co.nz]