Is coming to a close. I cannot emphasize that enough. The warning from fema there in the coming hours, the conditions will deteriorate. It will become extremely life threatening. Catastrophic storm surges, flooding is the biggest concern. And were also hearing now from the governor of North Carolina. Lets listen in. Get yourself to a safe place and stay there. If you havent already. Over the next few hours, many roads will become unsafe and impassable from debris and flood waters. Dont drive during the peak of the storm and dont attempt to drive through flooded roads. That puts your life in danger. I know many north carolinians see updated storm tracks changing categories of the hurricane, and landfall predictions. Im concerned because i have even heard some people say that North Carolina is getting a break. Please hear my message. We cannot underestimate this storm. Wind speeds may have dropped some from yesterday, but weve traded that for a larger wind field that expands 200 miles with Tropical Storm force winds. And our greatest concern about this storm remains the same. Storm surge and massive flooding. Both are going to be extreme. Catastrophic effects. Catastrophic effects will be felt outside the center of the storm due to storm surge as high as 9 to 13 feet. Thats the second story of a house. Battering winds and relentless rain that will last for days. Make no mistake. Whether the eye of the storm makes landfall along our shores or further south, were on the wrong side of this thing. This storm will bring destruction to North Carolina. And remember that Hurricane Matthew didnt even make landfall in North Carolina and look what it did to us. Flood plain experts at North Carolina management know from storm surge alone, tens of thousands of structures are expected to be flooded. And many more by rising rivers and creeks. If local officials tell you to seek higher ground, please listen. These orders are not given lightly. They are based on experienced Emergency Response experts who can predict dangerous and lifethreatening situations. As of now, we have about 108 shelters that are open with more than 7,000 people in them. Emergency managements goal is to set up even more shelters where people can stay safe throughout the duration of the storm. And even after. We appreciate local communities stepping up to host storm evacuees, and were grateful to the volunteers for helping us out at these shelters. I have ordered 2800 National Guard soldiers to report for duty to help in this time of crisis, and were truly grateful for their service. We also want to thank their families and the families of all of the First Responders who are making sacrifices with their loved ones who are serving with this natural disaster. Across our state, we have more than 56 School Districts that are now closed, and nearly all of the university of North CarolinaSchool System classes have been canceled. Everyone needs to be prepared for Power Outages that could last for days and maybe even a week or longer. Duke energy and our electric coops are estimating power losses in the millions. And families need to have their emergency supplies ready. I know i have said this a lot, but it bears repeating. Your supplies should include water, food, flashlights, batteries, medicines, Important Documents that you may need to take with you if you have to evacuate quickly. And you need a plan for your pets. And please remember, if you do lose power, dont operate gaspowered generators inside your home or in a garage, crawl space, or shed. This can be deadly. Stay away from loose or dangling power lines that may be knocked over during the storm. And no matter where you live, dont drive through roads covered by standing or moving water. The road that was there before the floodwaters may no longer be there. If you encounter a flooded road, turn around. Most storm related deaths are caused by drowning in fresh water. Heavy rains can cause swells in small creeks and can turn streams into raging torrents that will sweep away anything in their path, including cars. Only takes a few inches of water to cause devastation in a flood. North carolina needs to stay alert. And continue to take this storm seriously. You can download the ready nc app or follow North CarolinaEmergency Management on facebook and twitter. There you can get updates and learn how you can weather the storm. I want to thank everyone across our state who is working to get us ready for this storm. And i want to introduce to you part of our team that is leading those efforts. We have mike sprayberry, our director of Emergency Management. Dr. Mandy cohen, the secretary of health and human services. Colonel glen mcneill, who is the commander of the North Carolina highway patrol. We have general jim interrogatotrogden, our secretary of the darment of transportation. Alby lewis who is with fema. We have been listening to the governor ofner North Carolina w was very clear. My message today, dont relax, dont get complacent. Stay on guard. This is a powerful storm that can kill, and today the threat becomes a reality. Saying make no mistake. We are on the wrong side of this. John berman is in oak island, North Carolina. Those words there from the government. And hes not mincing them. We hope that people are taking them to heart. The word that jumped out to me that Governor Cooper used is catastrophic. The effects of this storm will be catastrophic. They are traded some wind speed, down to a category2, for size. Its a huge storm, an immense storm, which means the storm surge could be even greater. What that means where i am on oak island, im standing on a sand dune on a walkway. Im in the walkway, but this dune can withstand a threefoot storm surge. Higher than three feet, the water will wash over the dune. Now let me show you the houses. The houses are built on stilts, yes, waving right there is my producer, ally. Ally is about 53. So she raised her hand, maybe seven feet tall there. If we get a ninefoot storm surge, which were expecting, that means the water is going to wash right over those stilts, right into the living room and kitchen at that house, and the stilts wont make any difference. That is whats coming to the coast of North Carolina, and it isnt just coming for an hour or two hours. 24, 48 hours, several high tides. Thats the concern here. Lets go down to conway, South Carolina. Thats where we find scott mclean. What are you seeing there . Hey, john. Look, there are still 375 people who are staying in shelters, and were still quite a ways away from this storm making landfall, but these people are hunkering down. Theyre not taking any chances at all. Its not the most comfortable place for people to stay, but the red cross running the shelter. Theyre trying their best. They have tables set up for people. Some folks like the guy over there, they brought an air mattress, a tv, lawn chairs. A lot of food, trying to make things as homee as they can. Over here, entertainment for the kids. This is not supposed to be a shelter. The red cross has made this abundantly clear. This is an evacuation center. That means there are only cots set up for the sick or elderly. Some people brought their own air mattresses but a lot of people are sleeping on the floor. Its far from an ideal situation, but better than the alternative for a lot of people. A lot of people here are living in mobile homes or prefabricated homes, not where you want to be considering the weather that could come to this part of myrtle beach. 20 inches of rain, 60mileperhour winds. I spoke to one woman. She said she rode out the storm in a trailer, a doublewide trailer, Hurricane Matthew, back in 2016. She says that is simply not something that she is willing to do again. They were without power for a week back then in 2016. This time, it could be even longer than that. After this storm actually passes, john, this will turn into a shelter. Theyll have cots for everybody, but only obviously for those people who cannot go home because their home is destroyed or flooded out. Scott mclean for us in conway, South Carolina. Thanks so much. Again, the shelters need to be open now. Hopefully, people got to where they need to go already because its really almost no time left. Lets go up to wilmington, North Carolina, and might be very near where the eye of the storm makes landfall ultimately, not for a while, still some maybe 24 hours away. Kaylee hartung is there. Yeah, thats right, john. A gust of wind is picking up through here for the first time we have really seen today. Otherwise, the waters of the intercoastal waterway between wilmington and Wrightsville Beach is pretty calm. You describe the impact the storm surge could have on oak island. Let me wrap peoples minds about what that storm surge could do in the wilmington area. People tell me these boats, these floating docks could be in the parking lot on the other side of the dock that im standing on. Use me as your measuring stick. Im 52. This piling, 17 feet high from the average high tide mark. High tide is not expected for about another hour, but we have already risen above that average high tide marker here. There is something to be said for when the storm surge hits. And where we are in the tide, but these waters already higher than they should be. Im told when hurricane hazel came rolling through here in 1954, water rose as high as nearly the top of this pylon. Hurricane fran in 1996, if you look to the left of me, these older wooden pylons, those eight feet tall, that fleeting dock rose up and like i mentioned were expecting here today or tomorrow, i should say, rather, that dock over the pylons and into the parking lot ahead of me. You heard scott talking about the shelters that folks in South Carolina wheare headed to. We hope the vast majority of people have gotten off the island. Its one of those Barrier Islands with a mandatory evacuation order. Officials telling me they believe only a handful of people are left. This morning, they had four cars of people get off the island and make the decision at the last minute to get out because we know anybody who stays in one of these areas of mandatory evacuation, it will be at their own risk. First responders will not be there to help them if they need them. John. Thats exactly right. Once the wind speed hits 45 Miles Per Hour, the First Responders and rescue crews will not go out and wind speeds could be higher than that for two days. Kaylee hartung in wilmington, North Carolina. I want to go to chad myers. Im seeing the sun right now. I get the sense i shouldnt get used to it. Not at all. The storm is not that far from you. The outer bands are on the way. Those are the bands, and ill show you here in a second, those are the bands that will bring in the first real batch of Tropical Storm force winds. They are already getting now to Cape Hatteras and all the way up there along the outer banks. Everywhere from hatteras back down to morehead city, back out here, even toward the almost north top sail beach, thats where the first round of weather is happening now. Were still 150 miles, 129 now, from landfall. Not that far from wilmington. These are live updates as the storm rolls this way. So what has happened overnight . Well, the storm kind of got a stuffy nose. Thats in a good way. Its not breathing as well as it was. So the pressures are coming up, which means the wind speeds are coming down. So now were at a category2, and it wouldnt surprise me if we were a categoryone, but that categoryone, those winds are only in the small section. The wind here is the same as a cat2 or 3. The same wind here as a cat2 or cat3, and the wind here is the same as it was, even though the wind around the eye is not where it was two days ago. The water under this storm is exactly where it was. That surge water that was being pulled in by a cat4 for a while is still there. And when the storm comes onshore very close to wilmington, this is 12 30 tonight, a little after midnight, thats when the water is going to start splashing over the dunes and some spots 13 feet over the dunes. And washing away houses. Thats just the fact. Some houses, they will not be here when we wake up tomorrow or get there through the day tomorrow afternoon, because some of them arent on stilts or the stilts just arent tall enough to compete. You have 13 feet of surge on top of the water, and then all of a sudden, another 15foot wave on top of that. Its going to knock it down. A wooden structure has no chance with that. And thats why we put our crews where we do, in big concrete structures that we can get away from things. 110 Miles Per Hour right now. Wouldnt be surprised if that goes to 105. Theres a plane going back and forth. Well get a new update in about 45 minutes and all of a sudden, the storm gets to wilmington tonight and tomorrow night and then turns left toward myrtle. Thats why we have so many crews down there. John. All right, chad myers with the forecast. Chad, thanks very much. Again, the duration here, it is coming. It is staying for a long, long time. Much more of cnns special live coverage after this quick break. 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You pick the pattern, the colors, the fabric. Budget blinds does the rest, creating drapes and pillows. Thats style and service for every budget. Yours alone. For your oneofakind home. Call Budget Blinds for your free consultation right at home im erica hill. Welcome back to our continuing live coverage of Hurricane Florence. Youre looking at the radar, obviously, in live pictures on the righthand of your screen, of kittyhawk, North Carolina. You can see some of the outer bands making their way there. As we just heard from our met r meteorologist, chad myers, do not fool that this storm may have been downgraded to a category 2 at one point. The winds, the water, the immense stretch of the storm still there. The governor of North Carolina saying moments ago, this storm is catastrophic. And were on the wrong side of it. Its time to listen to each and every warning because your time is running out. All of this happening, of course, while at the white house, the president is already claiming accolades for the federal response to this storm. All while attempting still to rewrite the story of maria in puerto rico one year ago. In a pair of frankly breathtaking tweets this morning, the president not only denying the officially accepted death toll of nearly 3,000 lives but claiming, and i quote, this was done by the democrats in order to make me look as bad as possible. Lets bring in Cnns Abby Phillip at the white house with more. Lei leyla santiago is also in san juan. Has anybody tried to explain, confirm, any word on the president s tweets out of the white house this morning . No word, erica, this morning from the white house about what the president meant by these tweets, why what reasons he has to doubt that that death toll is higher than what was originally reported in the immediate aftermath of the storm. But under normal circumstances, a white house facing a storm like this coming at the United States wants to be of one mind about the message heading out to people, that they need to be safe, that they need to heed warnings. But President Trump is having an entirely different conversation on twitter. Hes tweeting about something that frankly the white house would like to put to the side for the next coming days. Aides have been trying to tell us this morning even that the president is engaged on this, that he has meeting on his schedule today, that theres cooperation happening between federal officials and local officials, all morning on the pending storm, but President Trump is instead debating whether or not democrats are trying to undermine him by artificially elevating the death Toll Associated with hurricane maria. This comes after days of President Trump saying that the federal governments response to that storm was an unsung success. He says theyre getting accolades for it. Clearly, a lot of folks on the ground there disagree, and white house aides this morning would love to be talking about anything else but this, erica. And that is going to be tough to do. Abb