Florence strengthened to a hurricane to a Category 1 hurricane Sunday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. Florence continues to churn toward the East Coast of the U.S.
This system is definitely a major threat, it will be a strong storm affecting a big, populous region of the U.S., possible for many days.
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In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Saturday to give his state time to prepare for the possible arrival of the storm. McMaster emphasized that there's no way to know yet when and where the storm will hit land, or when evacuations might be called.
On Friday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency and urged residents to use the weekend to prepare for the possibility of a natural disaster.
"We are entering the peak of hurricane season and we know well the unpredictability and power of these storms," Cooper said.
The U.S. Navy is making preparations this weekend for its ships in the Hampton Roads area to leave port. The U.S. Fleet Forces Command said in a news release Saturday that the ships will get ready in anticipation of getting under way Monday to avoid storm damage.
Adm. Christopher Grady said in a statement that the decision was based on Florence's current track, which indicates the area could see strong sustained winds and storm surges.
The news release notes that plans could change if forecasts indicate a decrease in the strength or change in the track of the storm.
See the 2018 Atlantic Season Names
Read: CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS
And also, there is Helene-- far, far away
Meteorologists Eboni Deon will be on Channel 9 starting at 5 a.m. and at noon this weekend with the latest tracks and forecast. Meteorologists George Waldenberger will be on Eyewitness news this weekend at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Digital meteorologist Irene Sans will be bringing you the latest on WFTV.com as well as across all of our social platforms.