Eyewitness news. Hurricane hermine gaining strength and heading for the florida coast. The latest on the path. And when we might begin feeling the impact here in North Carolina. Our state already bracing for impact from hermine. A look at the emergency preparations now underway. And. The issue pitting the Durham Rescue Mission against the city it serves. Eyewitness news starts right now. Hurricane hermine getting stronger. slamming the gulf coast of florida. And heading right for North Carolina. The category one hurricane making landfall laster tonight. And then itll move up toward us. Governor mccrory declaring a state of emergency. And getting briefed by emergency officials. mandatory evacuations are underway for visitors on Steve Daniels and im tisha powell. This hurricane is the first to hit florida in more than a decade. Chief meteorologist Chris Hohmann in the first alert raleigh storm center. Chris what are the latest models showing . Hermine is a minimal hurricane with winds of 75 mph. The storm should move ashore near apalachicola late tonight and then move fairly quickly up the east coast. Track hasnt changed much since this morning, with hermine forecast to move along or just inland from the coast late tomorrow night into the first half of saturday. Floridas hermine could be deadly. The storm is targeting the states big bend. Which is mostly rural. But has the potential for flooding. Governor rick scott has been warning people to head inland and take the storm seriously. More than six thousand National Guardsmen in florida are ready to mobilize after the storm passes. Hurricane hermine not expected to hit North Carolina until tomorrow night. But management officials already gearing up. And bracing for impact. Joel brown live right now at the Emergency Operations center in raleigh. Joel what are they doing to prepare . Governor mccrory getting a briefing, here at eoc, this afternoon then issuing that state of emergency in 33 North Carolina counties. That declaration makes it easier to get resources where they need to be to recover from whatever hermine brings. Florida storm in North Carolina. Hopefully this will get out of here quickly governor mccrory strategized with the states top Emergency Management officials. National guard soldiers. The highway patrol. And dot crews have been mobilized across the state. Well do the state of emergency for the 33 counties and well also go ahead and do the waiver. Bucket truck nats duke energy is already in Emergency Response mode. As hermine moves onto land the storm track takes it right through dukes electrical grid. Customers in florida. South carolina. And North Carolina. Duke warning customers to start making sure those smartphones, tablets, and laptops are fully charged in case the power goes out. Thats where your best source of information is during the storm both from the media and from duke energy. And while the state was busy preparing for the worst. And hoping for the best from hermine. There was no missing the urgency in the voice of North Carolinas eoc director. Remember that readiness is an individual responsibilty. They need to have an emergency kit ready to survive for 3 to 5 days. We never know. The state eoc is set to go into operation at 1pm tomorrow. And will stay fully functional until the end of the event. Jbrabc11ewn. And people have been sharing lots of pictures and videos on social media using the hashtag hermine. And you can keep track of hermines path. And keep up warnings as the storm approaches. Just download the abc 11 first alert weather app. Its free in the app store and on google play. Were following breaking news right now in raleigh. Crews battling a fire at a home on indian trail drive. Thats off quail hollow drive near millbrook. Were still working to gather more details about what may have started the fire or if anyone was hurt. Well bring you more information as we get it, in this newscast and on the abc11 mobile app. New tonight a man dead. Another charged with drunk driving in a 6vehicle crash this afternoon in garner. Police say it happened just before 4 on vandora springs and timber drive. Police are still trying to figure out exactly what happened but they know 74 year old john bergman ran a red light. Hes also charged with dwi. 56 year old tyrone pugh was sitting in killed. 4 other cars were involved. But those people were not seriously hurt. Our Public Schools are showing improvement in the Graduation Rate again this year. For the 11th year in a row. The state department of public instruction releasing its figures today. Showing the Graduation Rate above 80percent for the first time across all groups of students. Overall nearly 86 percent of High School Students are getting their diplomas. The report also shows slight gains in reading and math from end of grade testing. The state says the numbers show students are putting themselves in a better position for college. And careers. A group that helps those in need now at odds with the city it serves. The Durham Rescue Mission fighting back against a proposal from city council. To designate a new Historic Preservation district. This is what were talking about. the golden belt. Its home to the last intact mill village in the city of durham. Its located just about a mile from city hall. And right near the rescue mission. Dejuan Hoggard group wants to stop this designation. The battle between the city of durham and the Durham Rescue Mission is heating up. And with boxes of signatures being turned over today. The rescue mission is showing theyre not throwing in the towel just yet. The ones that it was built for are the very ones that pushed out of the neighborhood. Dr. Ernie mills and the Durham Rescue Mission are at odds with the city over the designation of the golden belt Historic District. Today, that fight included another punch by the rescue mission personally delivered a box full of petitions to city hall. Nat sound with a historic designation, the rescue mission would essentially be forced to maintain and build property on lots the rescue mission owns that meets historic standards. And it the city doesnt realize. Its hard enough for me to raise the money to feed roughly 400 people at our mens campus and our womens campus. And for them to add an extra cost to us, i dont understand that. Mills is worried most about the people who will be affected by the citys golden belt designation. Ones who mills says will be priced out of the very neighborhood they call home. With the designation, Property Values will rise. Which mills believes will be followed by. Wha charge to the person thats living in that house . Their rent is going to go sky high. And just so its clear, dr. Mills is not against the designation. The Historic District only goes one block on the other side of alston avenue anyway. So were not talking about a big piece of it. Just exempt our 20 properties. And with the petitions delivered today, hes hopeful the city hears that loud and clear. End with nat the city of durham for a response to todays petition delivery and they told us the decision on the appropriate boundary of a local Historic District for golden belt, in addition to the decision of whether to designate it at all, lies with the city council and is to be discussed at the public hearing on tuesday, september 6. Live outside durham city hall, Dejuan Hoggard, abc11 Eyewitness News. Highlighting a good deed helping members of the military deployed in the war zone in iraq. The entire Roanoke RapidsCommunity Coming together making care packages a taste of home packed with love. For military servicemembers who are so far away from their families right now. The texas steakhouse put together the effort. Churches. Businesses and individuals all pitching in. The National Guard pickedup the onethousand sustainment command is shipping them to the middle east. immigration reaction. The fallout after Donald Trumps speech yesterday. And the Campaign Stop happening in North Carolina next week. Plus stepping aside. The police chief who rose to prominence during tragedy this summer. Wont be leading the force anymore. The announcement he made today. And. rocket blast. The explosion at a florida launch pad. And the cargo that was destroyed in th look at xxx. As hurricane hermine gets closer to y23ufy yi0y florida coast. As it inches closer to land. This is a live look from xxx the category one hurricane landfall within the next hour. Chris will have more on when the storm will hit us here in North Carolina. Just ahead. A member of Donald TrumpsHispanic Advisory Council resigning over the president ial candidates hardline position on immigration. An rnc source tells abc news the decision comes after trumps visit to mexico. And speech last night in arizona. Trump touting his immigration policy again today in ohio. While a candidate for sheriff in one tex vows to stop cooperating with immigration authorities if the trump policy is ever enacted. Meanwhile the state Department Says before the election itll release Hillary Clintons schedule during her time at the state department. Also tonight her running mate tim kaine returning to North Carolina next week. Hes giving a National Security address on tuesday in wilmington. The Dallas Police chief who lead the department during a july sniper attack that killed 5 officers is retiring. Chief david brown released a Statement Today 33 years with dallas pd. Brown has been criticized for not doing enough to keep Dallas Police officers who leave for better pay. But his response to the sniper attack drew praise from many including president barack obama. Now to the big board and the mustsee video of the night. We start with a rocket exploding on a florida launchpad. You can see the fiery explosion in this video. It was so powerful it could be seen and felt miles away. The space x rockt destroying the facebook satellite it was carrying. Space x says there was some kind of anomaly on the Cape Canaveral launch pad before the explosion. The company is investigating what caused the explosion. Fortunately. No one was hurt. Facebook says the satellite was going to provide Internet Connectivity to millions of people in africa. Large parts of africa getting a show in the sky this morning. A ring of fire Solar Eclipse casting other. This video was caught by a skygazer in congo. The eclipse is called a ring of fire because the moon passes between the sun and earth and doesnt completely block out the sun. These types of eclipses happen about every 18 months. Hurricane with winds of 75 mph. The storm should move ashore near apalachicola late tonight and then move fairly the forecast track hasnt changed much since this morning, with hermine forecast to move along or just inland from the coast late tomorrow night into the first half of saturday. The storm will be losing some tropical characteristics as it interacts with a cold front. A tropical systems heaviest rains are usually on the right side, but with hermine becoming heaviest rain may shift to the north or west side of the storm. That means the rain may be heavier here in central North Carolina than along the coast. Right now, it looks like 36 of rain could fall, with locally higher amounts in a few spots. A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for tomorrow into early saturday for the region. The winds may be a little stronger and cover a larger area than a purely tropical near and to the right side of the storm. As hermine becomes entangled with a frontal zone, itll become more like a noreaster, which means the wind field will expand and cover a larger area. Still, were not expecting winds to gust much above 45 mph. That could still cause at least a few trees to come down, especially as the ground becomes saturated. Early saturday and weather conditions will improve dramatically as the day wears on. And sunday and monday look fantastic as High Pressure builds in. Both days will feature sunny skies, low humidity and pleasant temperatures. Lows will be 6065 and highs 8085 woah youre not taking these. Hey, hey, hey youre not taking those. Woah, woah youre not taking that. Come with me. Youre not taking that. Youre not taking that. Youre not taking that. Mom, im taking the subaru. Dont be late. Even when were not there to keep them safe, our Subaru Outback will be. Akes a subaru, a subaru. Im roy cooper, and you deserve the truth about the crime lab. When i became attorney general, we discovered a backlog of more than 5,000 dna test kits and years worth of shoddy investigations. But what governor mccrory isnt telling you is that we cleared the backlog. We also solved over 2,000 crimes and put killers and rapists in prison from cold cases. Now at havertys furniture, its our labor day sale. Where you can create the perfect home. From now until september 5th, youll find huge savings on stylish pieces. Get free delivery, plus an extra hundreddollars off every thousanddollars you spend. With havertys, your home can be perfect, even when life isnt. Mom . Have you see my iguana . The labor day sale is on now, at havertys. Life looks good. Not gonna give up the goods about which of his qbs would actually get the first look tonight, but earlier this week, word got out that during the public address dry runs at carter finley, ryan finley was being announced first. Whether or not it was related. Finley was indeed the first one out of chute. His job get the ball to his playmakers. Jaylen samuels almost picked. Samuels instead picks up 21 yards matt dayes touched the ball six times on the opening drive. The last one the most important. 70 first td of the year william and mary would answer emphatically an 11 play 75 yard drive steve cluley to Devante Dedmon seals the deal. 77 2q now 147. Off a Jerod Fernandez interception. Jaylen samuels w peasy. His first td of the year. More joy would arrive. Finley to bralon cherry. Bralons got a nose for the endzone. Its 4114 wolfpack right now. 9 years to the day of their monumental upset over michigan. App state was up to some more tricks tonight. At 9th ranked tennessee the vols gagging early. Fumble the punt return. Asu was on it. First and goal. Taylor lamb bulls his way across w the qb keeper 70 its lamb again the throwback to marcus cox. Tough catch and he wouldnt be denied at the goalline. It was 133 tennessee has clawed back into a tie. 13 all Kendall Hinton wrapping up the preseason. Backup running back Cameron Artis payne was the story vs pittsburgh. Check the reverse pivot to grab a first down on third and short. Later on. Big time catch. Went for no gain but still payne had around panthers up 186 stick around our cw 22 game of the these are grillers. And we make them at johnsonville. Theyve got way more flavor than ordinary burgers. Flavors like bacon and cheddar and steakhouse onion. People who try em, love em. Because theyre burgers. Made the johnsonville way. Someones hacked all our technology. Technology. Say, have you seen all the Amazing Technology in geicos mobile app . Look. Electronic id cards, emergency roadside service, i can even submit a claim. Wow. Yep, geicos mobile app works like a charm. Geico. Time for new scratchoff tickets from the North Carolina education lottery first tuesday first tuesday whats up . How ya been i am so sorry. First tuesday. Right through there. Tuesdays kinda my lucky day. And yours. And yours singing getcha scratchoffs on the very first tuesday. Tuesday. Ttuesday. Tututuesday. mandoline finishing riff your cw 22 game jamie hi, im jamie obrien. This week southern visits hillside in durhams biggest rivalry. Southern coach Darius Robinson everybody talks about this game. I sense it with the players, i sense it with the administration, i sense it with the teachers. You know, at the church, you know, at the convenient store. Its pretty much a classic. Its almost like christmas on labor day. Jalen greene senior qb every games a big game, but the bull city classic is a special one to us. Its just fun playing against our friends that we grew up with. Bobby fuller senior dt whoever wins this game calls themselves the after 8 seasons away, ray harrison returns as the hornets coach. Hillside coach ray harrison a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into hillside back in the day to get the program where it is right now. Coach king did a great job continuing the program and im just stepping back into the shoes and want to keep the Program Going rward. David madzivanyika senior de te i was like, this is going to be great. Just gonna pick back up from last year and continue to build. Ylen lsenior c its the battle of durham, the bull city classic. So its very important. Bragging rights for the whole year. Hillside coach ray harrison my Fraternity Brother is the head coach over there, so its a great thing to go against him as well. Jamie visit interviews. Well see you next thursday for the cw22 game of the week join us tomorrow morning on abc11 for the latest Eyewitness News. Well see you again tomorrow night for Eyewitness News at ten here on announcer today on tmz today on tmz. There is now undenial proof that drake and rihanna agether. E to but it appears that he is way more into her than she is him. She kisses him but i dont think theyre together. The guy is like obsessed with you, and youre like tolerating him because you want something to do on saturday, but you dont love him. Girls are the worst [laughter] Shaquille Oneal is a hero. He came upon a wall. The wall that belongs to david beckham. David beckham is so lucky that a rich person found his wallet. If you found david beckhamwalles what would you do with