LIVE UPDATES: A 'Mike Tyson punch' to the Carolina coast

ATLANTA — As Hurricane Florence continues to move closer to the East Coast, Channel 2 Action News has multiple reporters fanned out from the coasts of North Carolina, to Savannah and in Atlanta.

Our reporters are speaking with residents, local officials and emergency crews about their preparations for the storm.

We are also monitoring traffic as evacuees flood into Georgia, how coastal communities are responding and how the storm is expected to impact the metro Atlanta area.

Stay with Channel 2 Action News throughout the week and weekend as we continue to cover Hurricane Florence like no other news outlet.

[Download the FREE Severe Weather Team 2 app to monitor the hurricane]

4:30 a.m.

Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Karen Minton says Florence has winds of 110 mph and is expected to strengthen throughout Thursday.
10:55 p.m.

The National Hurricane Center has downgraded Florence to a Category 2 storm.

9:16 p.m.

Delta confirms to Channel 2 Action News that Vice President Mike Pence's visit to Atlanta tomorrow has been canceled because of Hurricane Florence

7:31 p.m.

Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Glenn Burns said a buoy has measured a wave in the Atlantic at 83 feet.

7:11 p.m.

The Red Cross says more than 1,600 people spent Tuesday night in 36 Red Cross and community shelters in North Carolina and South Carolina and more than 1,500 disaster workers are either on the ground or in route to the region to help.
 
Some 80 emergency response vehicles and more than 120 trailers of equipment and relief supplies have already been deployed.

7:05 p.m.

"This is not going to be a glancing blow," warns Jeff Byard, an administrator with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "This is going to be a Mike Tyson punch to the Carolina coast."

7:03 p.m.

6:47 p.m.

6:35 p.m.

Delta announced that airports in Charleston, S.C., Fayetteville, N.C., Jacksonville, N.C., and Wilmington, N.C., will close Wednesday evening after the arrival of most flights and will remain closed through Thursday, possibly longer.

Delta has added a total of 1,200 seats via extra flights and upsized aircraft in the storm's path. The airline has also expanded its travel waiver to include Asheville, N.C., Augusta, Ga., and Greenville/Spartanburg S.C., in addition to extending the impacted travel dates covered by the waiver through Sept. 17. The airline has also waived baggage and pet-in-cabin fees.

Delta has proactively cancelled approximately 85 flights, primarily scheduled for Thursday, to and from cities along the storm’s path as Hurricane Florence continues its approach to the Carolina coast.

6:26 p.m.

JUST IN: Some schools along the Georgia coast will be closed Friday:

6:16 p.m.

Join us tonight on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV for a special digital-only show:

6:11 p.m.

Trump spoke about the impending hurricane:

5:48 p.m.

Channel 2 reporters on the ground in the coastal Carolinas reported finding gas stations with little to no gas.

5:40 p.m.

5:26 p.m.

North Carolina Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry says between 4 and 5 thousand people are in shelters.

5:21 p.m.

5:20 p.m.

5:16 p.m.

The National Hurricane Center just released the new forecast track for Hurricane Florence:

5:13 p.m

5:09 p.m.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper had a stern warning about the upcoming storm: "One million NC residents have been asked to evacuate. If you have not been asked to leave, get ready to hunker down. Plan to be without power for days. Some areas will receive rain in feet instead of inches."

5:07 p.m.

More than 10 million people are under storm watches and warnings in 3 states as Hurricane Florence approaches the Carolinas and Georgia.

5:00 p.m.

4:52 p.m.

4:52 p.m.

The Jackson County EMC says they are closely monitoring the projected forecast of Hurricane Florence and its potential impact on Northeast Georgia and is ready to respond. Linemen and other support personnel stand ready to respond to our members when needed.

4:47 p.m.

The latest advisory indicates that Hurricane Florence will likely remain a Category 3 storm and not restrengthen to a Category 4 as it was earlier forecast. The latest data has the storm curving slightly more north.

4:45 p.m.

4:33 p.m.

Savannah's Fort Pulaski National Monument will be closed starting Thursday, Sept. 13. The park will remain closed until after the storm has passed and re-open once damage assessments have been made and the park is deemed safe for visitation.

4:29 p.m.

Delta says they have added more than 1,000 seats for the Carolinas for Florence evacuees.

4:14 p.m.

4:10 a.m.

4:08 p.m.

Georgia hotels are starting to fill up as evacuees flood the state.

4:06 p.m.

GEMA will go to "level 1" full-scale activation and open their special operations center tomorrow morning at 7 a.m..

3:56 p.m.

3:50 a.m.

3:49 p.m.

3:37 p.m.

3:35 p.m.

Air BnB is offering free places for refugees from Florence to stay:

3:17 p.m.

Georgia Power says they are actively monitoring the storm and coordinating with emergency partners, including GEMA and the Mutual Assistance Network. Visit www.georgiapower.com/storm to sign up for outage alerts.

1: 42 p.m.

1:17 p.m

From our sister station in Jacksonville, check out the traffic at the SC/Ga border as evacuees leave areas that could be impacted by Florence:

1:13 p.m.

Atlanta Motor Speedway announced they were opening even more campgrounds to refugees from Florence.

12:52 p.m.

Gov. Nathan Deal has issued a state of emergency for all 139 Georgia counties as Florence tracks closer to Georgia.

12:35 p.m.: Channel 2's Berndt Petersen is in Bartow County is at the Budweiser plant where workers will ship water to Hurricane Florence victims.

12:29 p.m.: Channel 2's Dave Huddleston is at the Atlanta airport where FEMA workers are gearing up for the storm.

12:06 p.m.: Channel 2's Craig Lucie is with local EMCs in Georgia as they prepare for Hurricane Florence.

11:43 a.m.: Channel 2's photojournalist Brian Ferguson is using NewsDrone2 over Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

10:49 a.m.: Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan is starting notice that the surf is beginning to pickup under the pier in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

10:47 a.m.: Channel 2's Nicole Carr said that hospitals in Myrtle Beach are discharging and evacuating patients ahead of the storm.

10:22 a.m.: Channel 2's Tony Thomas is on his way to Savannah, as Hurricane Florence's track moves closer to the Georgia coast.

10:20 a.m.: Channel 2's Richard Elliot received a statement from GEMA, which said it is currently in a on Level 2.

9:55 a.m.: Channel 2's Nicole Carr spoke to the Myrtle Beach mayor, who said the storm is the "real deal."

9:38 a.m.

9:28 a.m.: Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan is at Wrightsville Beach where lifeguard stands are coming down.

9:27 a.m.: Channel 2's Nicole Carr is in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where she said her hotel receptionist said people are still making arrangements ahead of Florence.

8:19 a.m.: Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan sees a line of crews on standby for power outages in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Cox Media Group