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Myrtle Beach beginning to feel effects of Florence

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — As Tropical Storm Florence bares down on North Carolina, the massive storm is also making itself known in South Carolina, where heavy rain and strong winds have made their way to Myrtle Beach.

Channel 2's Nicole Carr reported she was feeling intense wind and there was a considerable number of power outages -- about 50,000 customers -- already attributed to the storm.

Carr found some evacuees hunkering down in the same hotel where she is staying, who said they were worried about their home.

"Our main concern is that we won’t get back into our house, and can we? We hope our home is OK. We hope our homes alright,” Myrtle Beach resident Pam Plank said.

[LIVE UPDATES: Florence downgraded to tropical storm; at least 4 dead]

“How close are you?” Carr asked Plank.

“We’re about 9 miles from here but we have a pond behind our house and we’re concerned that it might flood, so we don’t know what we’re coming back to, but you know, we’re hoping for the best," Plank said.

Carr said a state police officer told her they are not responding to anything at this point, because they can’t do anything with the storm bearing down.

Channel 2's Tom Jones was across town along King's Highway. He reported that the main drag was a ghost town because the area is under a flood warning.

Despite most people leaving town, he did find one woman who walked more than a mile in horrible conditions to go to a doughnut shop in town, one of the few businesses left open.

“When you got God on your side you will be alright,” Camilla Jackson said.

Jones found Jackson walking on King's Highway as if it were a sunny day with no hurricane headed her way.

[READ: Hurricane hunters fly Channel 2 into the eye of Hurricane Florence]

“It feels good to me. The only thing that's wet is my feet,” Jackson told Jones.

Jackson said she takes care of an elderly woman who didn't evacuate the area and she had to go check on her.

She told Jones she isn't concerned about the impending storm.

“The wind is heavy but it's a tropical storm. It's not that bad,” Jackson said.

She's alone in that respect. Jones found most who live near the beach have evacuated the area.

Jones walked down to the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk. He said the ocean has been rumbling like an upset stomach. Rough tides are rolling in.

[READ: Hurricane Florence evacuees get free admission, discounts to Atlanta attractions]

Jones said there’s been a constant flow of rain since he got there. He also said ferocious winds have been whipping the trees around for quite some time.

Officials said those conditions are not going away anytime soon. The forecast is for it to be this way for the next 12 to 24 hours.

Officials are concerned that once Florence arrives, roads will be impassable and trees will come crashing down.

Jackson said she will be alright.

“When you're a survivor, you learn how to deal with it,” Jackson said.

The tropical storm is expected to officials hit the Myrtle Beach area sometimes after 6 p.m. Friday.

Officers are urging people to stay off the streets.