Hurricane Florence

Hurricane Florence is heading for the East Coast of America, with forecasters predicting it is to make landfall on 14 September in the Carolinas. The storm is currently category four and is expected to strengthen in the coming days.

Florence is the most powerful storm to threaten the Carolinas in almost thirty years with current sustained wind speeds of over 140mph. Forecasts predict as much as 20 inches of rain, and the region could be without power for several days. Storm surge is also predicted to flood large areas.

A state of emergency has already been declared in Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC as well as North and South Carolina. Officials have already asked residents in low-lying coastal areas to leave their homes with a million people expected to evacuate.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.

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We make our disaster imagery available through Planet Explorer, our online imagery browser. We provide limited access to Explorer for up to 30 days to qualified disaster volunteer organizations, humanitarian organizations, and other coordinating bodies. Explorer is continuously updated with our most recent imagery (please see map below for exact region available). To gain access to Planet's Explorer, please email support@planet.com. In your email, please provide your name, the name of your organization, and the purpose for which you wish to use the imagery.

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