Hurricane Florence 

Florence strengthens to Category 4, takes aim at Carolinas
Fresno Bee // Jonathan Drew // September 10, 2018
Summary: Florence exploded into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane Monday as it closed in on North and South Carolina, carrying winds up to 140 mph (220 kph) and water that could wreak havoc over a wide stretch of the eastern United States later this week. Communities along a stretch of coastline that's vulnerable to rising sea levels due to climate change prepared to evacuate the storm, which forecasters expect to be close to Category 5 strength by Tuesday. The South Carolina governor ordered the state's entire coastline to be evacuated starting at noon Tuesday and predicted that 1 million people would flee. And Virginia's governor ordered a mandatory evacuation for some residents of low-lying coastal areas.Hurricane

Florence remains dangerous Cat 4 storm as it heads toward the Carolinas
ABC 11 // WTVD-AP // September 11, 2018
Summary: Hurricane Florence continues to be a dangerous Category 4 storm as it steams toward the U.S. East Coast, but a new wrinkle in the Gulf could affect its path.It's too early to know for sure, but a disturbance in the Gulf could form into Tropical Storm Joyce and potentially push Florence's track northward -- good news for many parts of North Carolina.
 

More than a million told to evacuate as Florence builds to a Category 4 hurricane
San Diego Union-Tribune // Jenny Jarvie // September 10, 2018
Summary: More than a million people were ordered to evacuate a huge stretch of the eastern U.S. coastline as Hurricane Florence rapidly intensified Monday into an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 hurricane packing 140-mph winds. “We’re not going to gamble with the lives of the people of South Carolina,” the state’s governor, Henry McMaster, said in an afternoon press briefing Monday as he announced that eight counties along the state’s 187-mile coastline would begin to evacuate on Tuesday. Mandatory evacuations have already begun on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. “The forecast places North Carolina in the bull’s-eye,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday. “When weather forecasters tell us life threatening, we know that it is serious. … We here in North Carolina are bracing for a hard hit.”

    GENERAL ASSEMBLY NEWS 
 

6 Years Ago, North Carolina Chose To Ignore Rising Sea Levels. This Week It Braces For Disaster.
HuffPo // Jenavieve Hatch // September 11, 2018
Summary: In 2012, North Carolina legislators passed a bill that barred policymakers and developers from using up-to-date climate science to plan for rising sea levels on the state’s coast. Now Hurricane Florence threatens to cause a devastating storm surge that could put thousands of lives in danger and cost the state billions of dollars worth of damage. The hurricane, which is expected to make landfall on Friday, is shaping up to be one of the worst storms to hit the East Coast. Residents of North Carolina’s Outer Banks and mainland coasts have already been ordered to evacuate. President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in both North and South Carolina, and a Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator said that the Category 4 hurricane will likely cause “massive damage to our country.”​

Editorial: Supreme Court may make abortion access key state legislative issue
WRAL // CBC Opinion // September 11, 2018
Summary: No matter the personal stand on access to abortion, no one should be misled. President Donald Trump promised to deliver Supreme Court justices who will overturn the 45-year-old Roe v. Wade decision. While he’s sought to avoid any significant discussion about his views, the president’s latest pick to join the high court, Brett Kavanaugh, fills the bill. It is not if, but when the high court acts, it will be left to states to determine the future of abortion services, including whether women will have any access at all. Here in North Carolina, all that will be determined by our General Assembly.

  GOV. COOPER NEWS  
 

Gov. Roy Cooper issues a mandatory state evacuation for the barrier islands of NC
Fox 8 // Web Staff // September 11, 2018
Summary: Gov. Roy Cooper just issued around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday a mandatory state evacuation for the barrier islands of North Carolina ahead of Hurricane Florence. "Even if you've ridden out storms before, this one is different," Cooper said at a news conference. "The time to hope Florence goes away is gone." The entire southern East Coast of the United States is bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Florence as the storm approaches.