The Weather Channel's Maria LaRosa joined GoLocal News Editor Kate Nagle on GoLocal LIVE Friday to give an update on Hurricane Florence from Atlanta.
"It came ashore early this morning at Wrightstville Beach," said LaRosa. "The key is it has slowed down and it moves at a snail's pace. That will be huge when we talk about the major impact we're most concerned about -- rainfall and river flooding."
"We've already seen reports over a foot of rain -- there will be places that are threatening North Carolina's state record of 24.06 inches that came along with Floyd in 1999 -- that says a lot," said LaRosa.
According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm is expected to make landfall by Thursday morning and could be as strong as a Category 3 storm.
However, the center adds that there is a chance the storm reaches land by late Wednesday night.
"The earliest reasonable time that tropical-storm-force winds could arrive in the United States from #Florence is late Wednesday, and the most likely time is Thursday morning. Wednesday should be the last full day to prepare, so plan accordingly," said the Hurricane Center.
Hurricane Florence could bring winds up to 58 miles per hour to the Carolinas and Virginia.
"Florence is likely to cause damaging hurricane-force winds along parts of the coasts of South & North Carolina, & a Hurricane Watch is in effect for some of this area. Damaging winds could also spread well inland into portions of the Carolinas & Virginia," said the National Hurricane Center.