THIS IS A NEWS ITEM ON HURRICANE FLORENCE ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE, AT 6PM, THURSDAY, 13TH SEPTEMBER, 2018.

…HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS GETTING CLOSER TO THE NORTH CAROLINA OUTER BANKS AND COASTAL SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA…

…LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE AND RAINFALL EXPECTED…

AT 5:00 PM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FLORENCE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 33.7°NORTH AND LONGITUDE 76.2° WEST OR ABOUT 100 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA AND ABOUT 155 MILES EAST OF MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA.

FLORENCE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 5 MILES PER HOUR, AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY. A SLOW WESTWARD TO WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF FLORENCE WILL APPROACH THE COASTS OF NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA LATER TONIGHT, THEN MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE COAST OF SOUTHERN CAROLINA LATER TONIGHT, THEN MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE COAST OF SOUTHERN NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEASTERN SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA ON FRIDAY. A SLOW MOTION ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA IS FORECAST FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. 

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 100 MILES PER HOUR (MPH) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED BEFORE THE EYE OF FLORENCE REACHES THE COAST, WITH SLOW WEAKENING EXPECTED AFTER THE CENTER MOVES INLAND OR MEANDERS NEAR THE COAST. MORE SIGNIFICANT WEAKENING IS FORECAST ON SATURDAY AS FLORENCE MOVES FARTHER INLAND OVER CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA.