Image copyright NASA Image caption Hurricane Florence gains strength in the Atlantic Ocean as it moves west, seen from the International Space Station on Monday

“Storm of a lifetime” hurricane Florence is predicted to bring deadly disaster to large parts of the eastern US coast when it makes landfall on Thursday.

But as millions are under order to flee, some are being told they have to stay put.

On Monday, South Carolina officials announced they would not remove inmates from at least two prisons inside mandatory evacuation zones.

“In the past, it’s been safer to leave them there,” a spokesman for the South Carolina Department of Corrections said.

One of those facilities is no longer in those zones but remains in Florence’s path.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Flooding in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina in 2005

New Orleans was particularly badly hit but prisoners locked in cells in the city’s jail were not moved to another facility. A third of the inmates had been awaiting trial – not convicted of any crime.

Power cuts and broken generators caused ventilation and lights to fail and electric cell doors to remain shut. One guard reported that officials had fled as the waters had risen.

Prisoners were abandoned in cells without food or water for days as [toxic] floodwaters rose towards the ceiling, according to reports by the ACLU and Human Rights Watch based on more than 1000 eyewitness accounts.

Prisoners of Katrina

Orleans Parish Prison was eventually evacuated four days after the storm hit. Some inmates say they saw dead bodies and Human Rights Watch claimed that 517 prisoners had gone missing.

In 2006, Sheriff Marlin Gusman maintained no prisoners had died and none had escaped. Later, it emerged that arrest warrants had been issued for 14 escaped inmates.

Why are prisons not evacuated?

South Carolina has not evacuated prisons in response to hurricanes since 1999, according to local media.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Houston residents are rescued after flooding caused by heavy rain during hurricane Harvey in 2017

In Texas, four county jails were evacuated before hurricane Harvey made landfall last year. Built to withstand the most severe hurricanes, they were evacuated as a precaution and sustained some structural damage.

But in Houston, which was severely flooded, inmates left in prisons and jails reported minimal drinking water and food and poor access to medicine, as well as stifling heat.

In 1992, hurricane Andrew slammed Florida, causing huge damage to one prison in Miami, after which about 4,000 prisoners were moved out.

By Georgina Rannard, UGC and social news

Image copyright Reuters

You may have heard about Hurricane Florence, the storm careering towards the US east coast prompting warnings of an impending disaster.

But what makes Florence so different from other storms this year? From Beryl, Chris, and Debby?

We’ve pulled together some of the key elements that explain why officials are so worried, and what damage Florence could cause.

One video to watch

The storm’s winds may have weakened in recent days – they are now at 110mph (175km/h) – but there are fears Florence’s slow-moving nature could bring different problems.

Forecasters say it could slow dramatically when it nears land and then linger until Saturday, moving unpredictably along the coast and bringing torrential rain.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Hurricane Florence seen off the US east coast in the Atlantic Ocean

This satellite image of Florence hurtling towards the east coast on Wednesday gives a sense of its massive scale.

A National Weather Service forecaster has said it will be the “storm of a lifetime” for parts of the Carolina coast. One emergency official said it will be a “Mike Tyson punch” to the area.

There will be hurricane-force winds up to 80 miles from the centre of the storm, meteorologists say.

Some forecasters have predicted it could be the most powerful storm ever to hit the region.

One big number

Florence could do more than $170bn (£130bn) of damage and affect nearly 759,000 homes and businesses, says analytics firm CoreLogic.

Energy companies have also warned that the storm could knock out power for the foreseeable future in some areas.

“This is no ordinary storm, and people could be without power for a very long time – not days but weeks,” a president of one energy company in North Carolina said on Wednesday.

One bit of context

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Hurricane Floyd hit North Carolina in 1999 and left floodwaters that were heavily polluted by agricultural waste

If the storm lingers for a few days, the sheer amount of rainfall could lead to catastrophic flooding.

But the biggest danger could be life-threatening storm surges. These could be as high as 13ft (4m) along parts of the North Carolina coast.

All of this has led to fears that the state could face an environmental disaster if industrial waste – including hog manure and coal ash – is washed into people’s homes.

North Carolina has had this problem before. In 1999, Hurricane Floyd barrelled into the region and flooded vast areas with toxic water.

Dead hogs and chickens were pictured floating in the floodwaters, which had been polluted with agricultural waste and petrol.

One quote that tells a story

Many people in coastal communities have followed the mandatory evacuation orders, but some are vowing to stay put and ride it out.

Solange Iliou Thompson, a restaurant owner in the town of Wilmington, North Carolina, made her stance clear.

“I’m staying. The building’s solid and Buddha will protect us,” she told AFP news agency. “What can you do? You can’t stop Mother Nature.”

A delicatessen owner in the same town told Reuters that he was also going to stay.

“I’m not approaching Florence from fear or panic,” he said. “It’s going to happen. We just need to figure out how to make it through.”

Media captionWhy do people ignore hurricane warnings?

Although the maximum sustained winds have fallen, they are not expected to weaken further and the forward speed of the hurricane is also dropping, meaning it could linger near the coastline through to Saturday,

This means that torrential rainfall could last for significant periods and cause catastrophic flooding, including in inland areas such as Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said: “The time to prepare is almost over, Disaster is at the doorstep and it’s coming in.”

Up to 1.7 million people have been ordered to evacuate across South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.

Some 5.25 million people are under hurricane warning or watch, and another 4.9 million people are under storm warning or watch, Associated Press reported.

“I can’t emphasise enough the potential for unbelievable damage from wind, storm surge and inland flooding with this storm.”

Jeff Byard, of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said: “This is going to be a Mike Tyson punch to the Carolina coast.”

Reality Check: Are hurricanes getting worse?

Florence could wreak more than $170bn (£130bn) of havoc and damage nearly 759,000 homes and businesses, says analytics firm CoreLogic.

Energy companies warned Florence could knock out power in some areas for weeks

Waves 83ft (25m) tall were recorded at sea on Wednesday morning.

European astronaut Alexander Gerst shared images of Florence’s eye wall from space, calling the storm a “no-kidding nightmare”.

But while many coastal residents have complied with mandatory evacuation orders, others are boarding up their homes and vowing to ride out the storm.

Delicatessen owner in Wilmington, Brad Corpening, told Reuters he would stay, saying: “I’m not approaching Florence from fear or panic. It’s going to happen. We just need to figure out how to make it through.”

Image copyright AFP Image caption Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. Some are shuttering up, some are riding it out

Restaurant owner in the town, Solange Iliou Thompson, told Agence France-Presse: “I’m staying. The building’s solid and Buddha will protect us.

“What can you do? You can’t stop Mother Nature.”

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Image copyright Reuters Symbol caption Shoppers at a ironmongery store in Myrtle Seashore, South Carolina, which may be in the trail

US President Donald Trump has issued a chain of warnings to organize for Typhoon Florence, which is amassing energy as it strategies the Carolinas.

Mr Trump tweeted that this was “one among the worst storms to hit the East Coast in many years”.

Florence is at present a category Four storm, with sustained winds of about 140mph (220km/h).

On its present track it is expected to make landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina, late on Thursday.

New El Niño adventure most likely this winter

A choice of necessary evacuations had been ordered in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, affecting more than 1,000,000 folks.

The 23:00 file placed Florence about 465 miles south-east of Bermuda, transferring west-north-west at approximately 13mph.

This would see it cross between Bermuda and the Bahamas on Tuesday and Wednesday and make landfall at the North Carolina coast at approximately 22:00 native time on Thursday.

The leader meteorologist for WCBD-TELEVISION in South Carolina, Rob Fowler, told the BBC that Florence was once a big typhoon and getting larger, and people even 100 miles away could feel the have an effect on.

Symbol copyright Reuters Image caption Boarding up beneath means in Holden Seashore, North Carolina

He stated the predicted heavy rain and hurricane surges may threaten spaces comparable to Charleston, which is just a few metres above sea degree, and that Florence could rival the affect of Storm Hugo, which wreaked $7bn (£5.3bn) in damage and claimed FORTY NINE lives in 1989.

Schools in affected areas will start to shut on Tuesday and lanes on a few highways shall be reversed to assist evacuations.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption South Carolina airmen are deployed for the expected rescue efforts

National Typhoon Heart Director Ken Graham told the Associated Press information agency: “it is not just the coast. when you stall a device like this and it moves real slow, some of that rainfall can prolong well clear of the centre.”

a similar experience brought about devastation in Texas ultimate year while Hurricane Harvey hit.

‘We have been nonstop’

President Trump has signed approvals for the declarations of emergency within the Carolinas and stated he had spoken to the governors of the affected states.

He despatched out five tweets over four hours caution folks to heed advice and keep protected:

Image copyright EPA Symbol caption The Military is making ready to send 30 vessels out to sea

Resident Deborah LaRoche informed the agency: “It doesn’t matter what came about in previous storms. This one is other.”

A Few petrol stations had been working dry as consumers filled up.

Curtis Oil, a gas distributor in Chesterfield, South Carolina, mentioned it were “beaten with requests through state businesses and everyone else”.

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Image copyright AFP Image caption Forecasters say the typhoon will definitely hit the us sea coast

Evacuations have been ordered as the united states East Coast braces for Storm Florence – in what could also be the strongest hurricane to hit the region in two decades.

South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia have declared states of emergency, and residents are stocking up on essential supplies.

Officials say Florence is now a category three storm with 115mph (183km/h) winds, and gaining strength.

It is predicted to strike the Carolinas by means of Thursday.

Symbol copyright Reuters Symbol caption International Area Station by means of astronaut Ricky Arnold took this photograph of Florence on 6 September

Florence – which was 1,200 miles (2,000km) southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, on Monday morning – may succeed in category 4 as its attracts energy from the warm Atlantic waters, say forecasters.

The Miami-primarily based NHC stated: “There May Be an increasing possibility of existence-threatening affects from Florence: hurricane surge at the coast, freshwater flooding from a chronic and particularly heavy rainfall adventure inland, and damaging typhoon-pressure winds.”

The company known as Florence an “extremely bad” weather event.

“Anyone goes to suffer devastating harm if this hurricane keeps because it is these days forecast,” Nationwide Climate Provider meteorologist Dan Miller advised The State newspaper in South Carolina.

States of emergency

North Carolina officers on Monday ordered citizens to evacuate the state’s Outer Banks barrier islands.

There had been lengthy queues in supermarkets round groups close to waterways and coastlines as citizens transparent cabinets of water, batteries and plywood.

South Carolina’s state emergency management agency mentioned on Sunday that it’s “making ready for the likelihood of a large-scale crisis”.

Image copyright NOAA Image caption A Central Authority satellite symbol displays the storm’s area on Sunday

“Pretend, assume, presume that a top typhoon goes to hit proper smack dab within the heart of South Carolina and is going to go method inshore,” stated South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster.

In North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper waived agricultural transportation regulations in order to allow farmers to transport items extra quickly.

“Right Through harvest, time is of the essence. Motion today can keep away from losses because of Florence.”

Crimson flag warnings are keeping swimmers off seashores, as citizens sandbag their houses within the groups of Myrtle Seaside in South Carolina, and the Outer Banks in North Carolina.

“Actually, they are filling buggies full of water, shopping carts full of water,” Ryan Deeck, grocery department manager at a Walmart, advised The Solar News in Myrtle Beach.

Naval preparations

Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval install within the global, is getting ready to ship ships away from bases to weather the typhoon out at sea.

Two other hurricanes are lately churning within the Atlantic Ocean.

Hurricanes Isaac and Helene are anticipated to boost up over the following a few hours, but at this element, aren’t expected to threaten the united states mainland.