Watching Hurricane Florence newsletter - Thursday, Sept. 13

As of 5 p.m. EDT, Hurricane Florence was 100 miles from Wilmington with winds up to 100 mph. The Category 2 hurricane is expected to bring destructive wind, rain and storm surge as it makes its way west. Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued by the governors of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia for coastal areas, and President Trump has declared a state of emergency for South Carolina in preparation for the storm.

You are receiving this emergency information newsletter because you subscribe to the Top 5 newsletter from Greenville News, the Citizen-Times in Asheville, Delmarva Now, The News Leader in Staunton, or the Independent Mail in Anderson.

Paywalls on the websites and apps have also been suspended to provide important public-safety information, so please click through to the links below for updated information in your area as the storm progresses.

General information resources (scroll down for local area specific information):

For immediate updates from our reporters spread along the coast, follow this Twitter list which collects their updates as they come.

Follow this interactive map for the latest trajectory of Florence. And please don’t underestimate the power of a Category 2. Here’s the national assessment on how this hurricane could play out.

As you gear up for the storm, try to gather essentials like an ax, an inflatable or other flotation device and photos of your valuables and essential paperwork. And if you’re heading to a shelter for the first time, here’s a list of things you should take with you.

If you were planning to fly, were on one of the 1,650+ flights canceled and are looking for a refund, here’s all the info you need on that.

Still thinking about college football? Here's the updated list on how games will be affected by Florence.

This article list will be updated as more news comes out about Hurricane Florence. Check back for everything from potential dam danger to the state of the horses at the Outer Banks.

From the Greenville, SC area:

Follow this constantly updated story for the latest on how Hurricane Florence will affect your area, and this story for the latest on the storm path and what it means for rain and more. So far: North Greenville University classes and Presbyterian College classes have been canceled on Friday and Monday; South Carolina utility cooperates have warned potentially long power outages; and rain, rain and more rain is coming. Here's everything that's known about the storm.

From the Anderson County, SC area: 

Anderson County is expected to get 4 to 6 inches of rain, as is Oconee and Pickens counties. Here are five things Anderson County residents should know about Florence.

Outer Banks Highway 12 is flooded and impassible, the main road that runs through Ocracoke and Hatteras islands. Wind gusts on both islands are in excess of 50 mph and storm surges could be 4 to 9 feet. The last ferries to the island ran Wednesday and were used only for the purposes of evacuating the islands. Follow here for the latest on the Outer Banks.

From the Asheville, NC area: 

Buncombe County will be under a state of emergency beginning Friday (until Thursday, Sept. 20), putting municipalities including Asheville under the declaration as Western North Carolina prepares for Hurricane Florence. Asheville’s live updates are here so continue to check back.

The main threat to Asheville and its surrounding area continues to be heavy rainfall with potential for flooding on Saturday and Sunday. Asheville should expect 4-6 inches of rain, with as much as 8-10 inches at higher elevations.

You may be seeing gas stations out of gas, and here’s why. And while some are being urged to evacuate, that’s not always an option for everyone. Read this story for your dose of perspective.

From the Delmarva area: 

Delmarva can expect strong winds, minor to moderate tidal flooding and heavy rain that could last through the weekend. Tropical storm warnings were issued for the lower Chesapeake Bay and southeastern Virginia on Thursday.

Concerned about your land and sea vehicles? Boat owners are being reminded to secure your boats. And residents concerned about street flooding impacting their parked vehicles can move them to higher ground at the nearby Bay Creek golf course parking lot — residents can obtain a hang tag for vehicles to be parked at Bay Creek from the Bay Creek gatehouse. Potential flooding levels in specific localities can be checked at the NWS website.

Take note of these updates if you’re headed to Ocean City, Md., Rehoboth Beach, Del., or Virginia Beach. And if you want to see what's happening from a safe distance, take a look at this gallery from Ocean City.

From the Staunton, VA area: 

If you're concerned about flooding, you will be able to make sandbags with city provided sand from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Montgomery Hall Park soccer field parking lot.

The city and Staunton City Schools have prepared three shelters if an area of the city needs to be evacuated or if power outages last longer than three days. A.R. Ware Elementary School will serve as the primary shelter for residents. Two other City schools will also serve as additional shelters if needed.

The city’s emergency management team urges residents to subscribe to Staunton Alert Messages, the city’s emergency alert system, to stay updated if the storm severely impacts the city.

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