East coasters are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Florence, a powerful category 4 storm currently producing 130 mph wind speeds and widespread concerns throughout the Virginia border. Florence is expected to reach the Carolinas Thursday night into Friday morning dumping 15 to 25 inches of rain.
Residents are stocking up, boarding up, and hitting the road as they prepare for the storm. Sandbags line businesses and homes alike while plywood barricades the insides.
Officials in the Carolinas and Virginia have issued emergency evacuations, with more than 1 million residents expected to flee from the storm. The highway that runs from Myrtle Beach to Virginia called US 501 carried four to six times as much traffic as normal on Tuesday, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. With the rush of drivers filling up before evacuating, some gas stations have experienced gas shortages.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said that “we are ready as anybody has ever been for a hurricane.” He also called the U.S. Response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico “incredibly successful.”
Check out the photo gallery above to see how people are defending themselves against the storm.