Hurricane Florence was a powerful and long-lived tropical cyclone that caused catastrophic damage in the Carolinas in September 2018, primarily as a result of freshwater flooding due to torrential rain.

An unexpected bout of rapid intensification ensued on September 4–5, culminating with Florence becoming a Category 4 major hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale (SSHWS), with estimated maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 km/h).

An unexpected eyewall replacement cycle and decreasing oceanic heat content caused a steady weakening trend; however, the storm grew in size at the same time.

Early on September 14, Florence made landfall in the United States just south of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane, and weakened further as it slowly moved inland under the influence of weak steering currents.

Early in the storm's history, the system brought squalls to the Cape Verde islands, resulting in minor landslides and flooding; however, overall effects remained negligible.

[4] While the storm came under the steering influence of a strong subtropical ridge to the north the following day, moderate wind shear temporarily stunted development and displaced convection to the eastern side of the depression.

[6] Development of a small central dense overcast and a mid-level eye feature signified Florence's intensification to hurricane strength early on September 4, roughly 1,240 miles (2,000 km) west-northwest of Cape Verde.

[10] On September 5, the tropical cyclone reached an initial peak intensity with 1-minute sustained winds of 130 mph (215 km/h) with a central pressure of 950 millibars (28 inHg), making it as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale.

[11] Environmental conditions became increasingly conducive to reorganization on September 8 as NOAA Hurricane Hunters began reconnaissance of the cyclone, with the shear decreasing and warm waters becoming deeper.

[11][14] Fueled by sea surface temperatures of 29 to 29.5 °C (84 to 85 °F), Florence rapidly reintensified overnight, and Convective bursts with frequent lightning surrounded the eyewall,[15] giving rise to a well-defined 12 mi (19 km) wide eye.

At 11:15 UTC (7:15 a.m. EDT) on September 14, Florence made landfall just south of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane, with sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and a central pressure of 956 mbar (28.2 inHg).

[34] The South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) and Harvest Hope Food Bank began mobilizing resources for potential recovery efforts.

[35] The SCEMD raised operation conditions to level 3 on September 9, and began preparations for the "possibility of a large-scale disaster", with forecasts showing Florence striking the state as a major hurricane.

In addition, West Virginia state parks offered reduced rates for rooms, cabins, and campsites until September 18 in order to provide assistance to evacuees.

[11]: 3  Based on Doppler velocity data retrieved by weather radar, the NHC estimated that the maximum sustained winds associated with the storm were around 90 mph (145 km/h), making Florence a high-end Category 1 hurricane at the time of landfall.

[11]: 4  The easterly onshore winds produced by Florence pushed a storm surge onto the western shores of Pamlico Sound and the Atlantic-facing coasts of North Carolina.

The highest levels of storm surge inundation occurred along the banks of the Neuse River and its tributaries upstream of Pamlico Sound, where USGS sensors and post-storm simulations indicated that the water height reached 8–11 ft (2.4–3.4 m) above typically dry ground.

[76] Florence made landfall in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina on September 14, and by mid-morning rescuers had already evacuated more than 200 people from floodwaters, with about 150 more awaiting rescue.

[77] On September 14, about 100 civilians, city workers, and National Guard worked to fill sandbags and protect Lumberton, North Carolina from an identified weak spot that caused massive flooding during Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

[79][11][80][81] By September 17, Florence had dropped a maximum total of 35.93 inches (913 mm) of rain in Elizabethtown, North Carolina, becoming the wettest tropical cyclone recorded in the state.

[87] There was a report of looting and burglary at a Wilmington area Family Dollar, with the theft of non-essential items such as sports apparel and athletic shoes during the height of the storm.

The first tornado touched down just north-northeast of Myrtle Beach, causing minor damage to pine trees near Route 17 before lifting after moving only about half a mile.

[115] In late September, two people were killed in North Carolina while repairing damage from Hurricane Florence to their homes, bringing the death toll in the state to 39.

[118] On September 18, a van was transporting two mental health patients from Horry County to Darlington; the vehicle was swept away by swift-moving water along U.S. Route 76—the swollen Little Pee Dee River was 0.5 mi (0.80 km) from this location.

[131] In total, more than a hundred and thirty hog waste lagoons were compromised, and thirty-three overflowed to the point of discharging their contents into the Cape Fear River watershed.

[132][133] On September 16, approximately 5 million gallons of partially treated wastewater spilled into the Cape Fear River after a treatment plant lost power.

[134] On September 19, the H.F. Lee Energy Complex in Goldsboro flooded to the point where their three ponds were completely underwater and began releasing coal ash into the Neuse River.

[138] Many rescuers were looking for local residents in need of assistance or evacuation aid, and discovered some animals in flooding cages, some attempting to seek shelter, and some stranded on porches.

[146] Thousands of dead fish had to be cleaned off of Interstate 40 in Pender County, North Carolina, with other marine life such as a 20-foot-long whale being reported washed onto beaches and residential areas, having to be removed and buried.

[147] President Donald Trump visited North and South Carolina on September 19, and spoke to emergency workers in an airplane hangar at the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.