Residents in the Carolinas and Virginia are bracing for Hurricane Florence — here's what it looks like on the ground

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

After evacuations were ordered in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, residents have been bracing themselves as Hurricane Florence moves closer to making landfall Thursday night with what experts warned would be "catastrophic" wind and rain.

Governors from the three states in the storm's path issued harsh warnings for citizens to evacuate immediately, causing a harried scene among stores and communities to prepare for the possibly devastating storm.

Here's what it looks like on the ground:

Hurricane Florence has been showering the Carolinas and Virginia with rain all week.

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Source: Business Insider

Some citizens weathered the storm's initial signs early in the week with ease, but reports and warnings from public officials eventually painted an increasingly dangerous picture.

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Coastal counties in Virginia, South and North Carolina were all under mandatory evacuation orders by Tuesday.

Anna Driver/Reuters

Source: Business Insider

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See Also:

• South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia are under mandatory evacuations as Hurricane Florence approaches. Here are the areas affected and what to do if you're in them.
• South Carolina's governor made highways one-way so people could evacuate Hurricane Florence, warning it could bring more wind than Hurricane Hugo and more water than Hurricane Matthew
• The 16 most destructive hurricanes in US history

SEE ALSO: Hurricane Florence could be the most powerful storm to ever make landfall north of Florida

DON'T MISS: South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia are under mandatory evacuations as Hurricane Florence approaches. Here are the areas affected and what to do if you're in them.