Preparing For A Catastrophe: Hurricane Florence’s Size Is "Staggering"

As Hurricane Florence churned toward an eventual Eastern Seaboard landfall, evacuations were imposed for parts of three East Coast states Tuesday and millions of Americans prepared for what could become one of the most catastrophic hurricanes to hit the region in decades. Hurricane Florence’s size is "staggering," National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham warned. "We could cover several states easily with the cloud cover alone," Graham said. "This is not just a coastal event." There was little change in Florence’s track during the 11 a.m. forecast from the National Hurricane Center. Sustained winds were 130 mph (215 kph) Tuesday morning, but it remains a Category 4 storm and is expected to intensify to near Category 5 status as it slows over very warm ocean water near North and South Carolina.