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Hurricane Florence could bring life-threatening storm surge and catastrophic flooding to a significant portion of the southeastern U.S. as it heads toward an expected landfall along the coast of the Carolinas.
As of 2 p.m. ET on Sept. 12, Florence was a strong Category 3 storm, with maximum sustained winds near 125 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. A hurricane warning was in effect from South Santee, S.C., to Duck, N.C., and for the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds.
The storm is forecast to slow just before it hits land, hovering as it dumps rain in a manner similar to the way Hurricane Harvey sparked catastrophic flooding in the Houston area in 2017. The NHC said isolated areas of coastal North Carolina could get up to 40 inches of rain, with up to 20 inches possible in South Carolina and western and northern North Carolina and as much as a foot possible in other parts of the mid-Atlantic.
What the ultimate claims bill for the insurance industry will be may take some time...