JUST THE BEGINNING

Hurricane Florence: More Than 60 Rescued From Collapsing Hotel

As 30 inches of rain in Atlantic Beach sets a new state record.

More than 60 people had to be rescued from a collapsing Wilmington hotel as Hurricane Florence struck North Carolina on Friday morning, as pieces of other demolished buildings flew through the air around them. About 15o more, trapped by flooding, are waiting to be rescued further north. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that this is only the beginning—because Florence is only moving at around 6 miles per hour, forecasters predict the region will face disastrous winds and rain for most of the day. And even though Florence just touched down at 7:15 a.m. Friday morning, it has already broken one state record: Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, received 30 inches of rain in the past 24 hours. “This is a powerful storm that can kill,” said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. “Today the threat becomes a reality.”