WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Florence has rapidly strengthened into a major hurricane as it's approaching the southeastern U.S. coast," the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Monday.
The center of Florence was located about 2,000 kilometers east-southeast of Cape Fear, state of North Carolina, packing maximum sustained winds of 185 km per hour (kph), moving west at 20 kph, according to the latest advisory published by the weather forecaster.
On the forecast track, the center of Florence will move over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and the Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday before approaching the coast of South Caroline or North Caroline on Thursday, said the NHC.
Florence, a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, is expected to further intensify and remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane through Thursday, it added.
The governors of South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia have declared states of emergency.
"Now is the time for your family also to prepare and stay tuned for more updates," South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said. "Plan for the worst, pray for the best."
South Carolina emergency management officials said they were "preparing for the possibility of a large-scale disaster." About 750 National Guard members were expected on duty in the state.
The U.S. Navy said all ships in Virginia's coastal Hampton Roads area were preparing to leave port for open seas Monday, according to reports.
Heavy rain in the Washington D.C. area over the weekend has already led to flooding in historic Alexandria, Virginia, local media reported, and the U.S. National Weather Service issued a flood watch for part of the Potomac River.
Hurricanes reaching Category 3 and higher are considered major hurricanes because of their potential in causing a significant loss of life and damage.
Florence, the first major hurricane of the Atlantic season, was once a Category 4 hurricane last week, packing maximum sustained winds of 215 kph, before weakening gradually to a tropical storm, which regained hurricane strength Sunday morning.
Officials said the largest threat to life from hurricanes is not the high winds, noting that flooding is the deadliest result of these storms.
Current forecast models indicate that Florence could strike the Carolinas and enter central Virginia, possibly stalling and dropping more than 20 inches of rain in some areas.
That will lead to widespread and dangerous flooding, inundation of roads and damaged infrastructure. Potential widespread power outages are also expected.
The U.S. National Guard urged local residents and visitors to prepare for rising waters, flash flooding.
Florence is one of three hurricanes churning in the Atlantic Ocean, along with Helene and Isaac.
While Helene is forecast to spin to sea away from land, Isaac is a real threat to the Caribbean later this week, according to the NHC.
In addition, in the Pacific Ocean, what's now Hurricane Olivia is forecast to approach Hawaii as a tropical storm on Tuesday.
