HURRICANE Florence battered the southeastern United States over recent days — causing widespread flooding and destruction across multiple states.
Here’s how you can track the storm’s movements and how it has affected those in its path.
How are storms tracked?
In the US the main body that tracks storms such as hurricanes is the federal agency the National Weather Service.
It was founded in February 1870 and based in Maryland.
The NWS had a budget of $1.124billion in 2016.
However, within that body, there is the specialist National Hurricane Center which was founded in 1965 specifically tasked with monitoring weather systems within the tropics.
The NHC was established to watch and track the formation of “hazardous tropical weather” and to issue warnings in a bid to reduce the impact of the storms in order to save lives and help reduce the financial cost of damage caused by a storm.
The centre uses satellite images as well as radar and aircraft reconnaissance to track and monitor storms.
The NHC has a specialist team, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the Hurricane Hunters, part of the Air Force Reserve, which flies into tropical storms and hurricanes to collect scientific data.
What are the latest updates on Hurricane Florence?
As of 16 September the storm weakened to a tropical depression — but a warning for heavy rain was still in place.
The National Hurricane Centre said that flash flooding and “catastrophic / historic river flooding will continue over a significant proportion of the Carolinas”.
Forecasters say its relentless rain could bring some of the worst destruction yet.
So far, Florence has been linked to at least 18 deaths in two states, including several in flash flooding.
Swansboro, North Carolina, has received more than 30 inches of rain.
Other areas received more than 20in of rainfall bringing severe flooding and knocking out power to 740,000 homes and businesses.
The NHC also warned of a tornado threat.
It said: “A couple of tornadoes remain possible from northeast South Carolina and eastern/central North Carolina into parts of Virginia, western Maryland, and southern Pennsylvania through Monday.”
