Hurricane Florence – the most powerful storm to threaten the Carolinas in nearly three decades – is expected to strengthen, say forecasters.
Officials warn there is a chance of “life-threatening inundation from rising water” over the next 48 hours as Florence heads for the US East Coast.
With sustained winds of about 130mph (215km/h), the weather system is currently a category four storm.
It could make landfall on Thursday, near Wilmington, North Carolina.
Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, North and South Carolina have all declared states of emergency.
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“This storm is a monster,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper told a news conference on Tuesday. "It’s big and it’s vicious.
“It is an extremely dangerous, life-threatening, historic hurricane.”
