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Parts of North Carolina see over 30 inches of rain

At least 13 people are dead as the coastal Carolinas continue to feel Florence's wrath.

What we know about the victims

A day after blowing ashore with 90 mph winds, Florence practically parked itself over land all day long and poured on the rain. With rivers swelling toward record levels, thousands of people were ordered to evacuate for fear the next few days could bring the most destructive round of flooding in North Carolina history.

Some parts of North Carolina saw over 30 inches of rain.

Florence is forecast to be downgraded to a depression in the coming hours, according to Severe Weather 2 Team meteorologist Katie Walls.

[FLORENCE RELIEF: Convoy of Care: Here's how you can help Hurricane Florence victims]

Florence made landfall Friday morning as a Category 1 and killed at least five in North Carolina on Friday.

Officials in both South and North Carolina said the flooding threat wasn't over.

“I cannot overstate it: Floodwaters are rising, and if you aren’t watching for them, you are risking your life,” Gov. Roy Cooper said.

IMPACTS TO GEORGIA:

Overall impacts are expected to remain limited in Georgia.Showers and a few embedded thunderstorms will increase tonight through Sunday, particularly in eastern/northeastern portions of the area, closer to the storm’s track.

Heaviest rainfall totals may reach 1" in far northeastern portions of the area.

Breezy conditions will continue tonight, especially in eastern portions of the area where sustained winds around 15-20 mph and gusts up to around 30 mph can be expected. In Northeast GA, a Wind Advisory is in effect for Rabun and Habersham where gusts could reach 40 mph, especially above 3000’

[PHOTOS: Water rescues, damage as Florence impacts Carolinas]

THE LATEST:

11:15 p.m.

11:07 p.m.

A tornado watch has been issued for parts of North Carolina until 7 a.m.

10:53 p.m.

"The worst flooding is yet to come for portions of the Carolinas, the southern/central Appalachians from western NC to west-central VA and far eastern WV," the National Weather Service tweeted.

10:12 p.m.

9:36 p.m.

Channel 2's Tony Thomas is in Myrtle Beach, where some residents were able to go back to their properties to check for damage. Officials are still concerned about river flooding in the coming days, but so far, Florence doesn't appear to have left much damage.

8:00 p.m.

7:21 p.m.

Five people have been arrested for looting at a Family Dollar store in Wilmington.

6:21 p.m.

Wilmington Police say people are looting a Family Dollar Store. In response an extended curfew is now in place in the area. This curfew went into effect at 5 pm and will remain in effect until 6 am. The citywide curfew will run from 10 pm until 6 am.

5:44 p.m.

Rain is pushing into the metro Atlanta area this afternoon.

5:22 p.m.

President Donald Trump has approved a major natural disaster declaration for North Carolina.

The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Beaufort, Brunswick, Carteret, Craven, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, and Pender counties. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

4:56 p.m.

This is a little bit of good news!

4:18 p.m.

3:34 p.m.

Parts of North Carolina are under mandatory evacuation orders due to rising flood waters.

3:10 p.m.

3:07 p.m.

The mayor of New Bern, North Carolina said 4,200 homes have been damaged by Florence. 400+ people have been rescued there with rescues still ongoing.

2:00 p.m.

Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Katie Walls said an additional 10 to 20 inches of rain could fall.

1:00 p.m.

Florence is slowly moving into western South Carolina.

12:30 p.m.

Florence will continue to slowly creep westward throughout the day.

On Sunday, Florence is expected to begin to accelerate northwestward with the center remaining just east of Georgia.

12:10 p.m.

Evacuation orders have been lifted in several coastal South Carolina counties as Florence continues to dump rain on the state.

Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order lifting evacuation orders for Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester and the Edisto Beach area of Colleton County effective at noon Saturday.
11:45 a.m.

Transportation officials in North Carolina say conditions on the roads continue to change.

"Roads open today may be closed by this afternoon," one official said. "I do anticipate tomorrow we'll have a significant increase in the number of roads covered in water."

11:00 a.m.

Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Katie Walls says she expects Florence to weaken to a depression in the next 12 hours.

10:55 a.m.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper instructs residents who have evacuated to "stay put."

"We know that people are anxious to get back home, but don't go back until this storm passes, and you get the official all-clear," Cooper said.

9:55 a.m.

Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Katie Walls is keeping track of rainfall totals in the Carolinas. Georgia is expected to only get up to an inch due to Florence.

9:39 a.m.

8:32 a.m.

Power outages are increasing again across North Carolina, according to the state's emergency mangagement.

Meanwhile the South Carolina Emergency Management Division has set up a 24-hour hotline for questions:

8 a.m.

Tropical Storm Florence has slowed down from 5 MPH to 2 MPH along South Carolina.

7:55 a.m.

Here is a look at the recent rainfall totals in the Carolinas. Severe Weather Team 2 meteorologist Katie Walls says parts of Georgia will see around an inch.

7:50 a.m.

Severe Weather Team 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan is tracking the rising crests of rivers in North Carolina.

7:05 a.m.

At least 6 people have died as a result of Florence, according to our sister station WSOC-TV in Charlotte:

6:53 a.m.

Flooding is the main concern as Florence stalls over the Carolinas, especially with rivers cresting.

6:44 a.m.

Severe Weather Team 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan is stationed on the North Carolina coast checking in on power outages and damage.

6:40 a.m.

The North Carolina Emergency Management Center is tracking power outages across the state. Here are the latest numbers as of 6:40 a.m.:

6:20 a.m.:

6:06 a.m.: 

Channel 2's Lauren Pozen will be at a FEMA coordination center for Channel 2 Action News Saturday AM to get updates on the federal government's response to Florence.

5:57 a.m.: 

5:51 a.m.

5 a.m.

Sustained winds of 50 MPH and gusts with 65 MPH were measured at 5 a.m., but Florence is moving only 5 MPH.

4:15 a.m.

Cox Media Group

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