Hundreds of flights cancelled as Hurricane Florence nears landfall

Hundreds of flights cancelled as Hurricane Florence nears landfall

A hurricane of unprecedented size is on track to make landfall on the east coast of the US on Friday morning Australian time.

Hurricane Florence is expected to bring heavy rain, winds of more than 200 kilometres an hour and a storm surge that will reach four meters high is some places.

More than 1.5 million people have been ordered to leave their homes as the category four hurricane approaches.

CNBC reports hundreds of flight have been cancelled and airlines are adding more services to get people out of areas expected to be affected by the hurricane.

So far, more than 450 flights in or out of Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham International airport, Charlton International Airport and Myrtle Beach International Airport have been cancelled.

Scores of US airlines are also capping airfares lower than last minute prices and are waiving change fees, baggage fees, and in-cabin pet fees for those affected by the storm.

Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman Steve Goldstein told the ABC that the inland flooding threat is extreme.

“Fifteen to 25 inches of rain is forecast, with up to 40 inches near the exact centre of Florence,” he said.

Some meteorologists are predicting that Florence could be a repeat of the devastating Hurricane Harvey which pounded into Texas in August last year.

But according to Al Jazeera, the warnings have not been enough to deter all those living in the area, with some residents planning to stock up on supplies and wait it out.

“We will experience power outages, we will have infrastructure damaged, there will be homes damaged, and there will be debris on the roads,” said Jeff Byard, an official from the Federal Emergency Management Agency told Al Jazeera.

“This will be a storm that creates and causes massive damage to our country.”

Featured image credit: Twitter (@NOAASatellites)

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