Hurricane Florence makes landfall in North Carolina

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Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina on Friday morning (US time) with wind speeds reaching a vicious 90 miles per hour (144kmph), according to local media reports.

The category 1 storm made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, east of Wilmington.

CNN reported that extremely heavy rainfall has persisted for most parts of Thursday and Friday with three inches of rain being dumped every hour across the American state. It also reported that many people are still waiting to be rescued as officials brace for enormous destruction and possible human tragedy.

Several cities in North Carolina have been put on extreme alert as buildings have been battered by high-speed winds. Power supply in many cities have been snapped with reports suggesting that some 1,300 flights along the East Coast already cancelled.

Residents are being asked not to venture out and to find upper reaches. Many have stocked up on essential supplies in the days leading up to Friday and - although Met officials have predicted the intensity of the hurricane to reduce as it moves inland - are taking no chances.