NASA shared video on September 12 showing the view of Hurricane Florence from the International Space Station as the Category 4 storm approached the US east coast.

The National Weather Service issued strong warnings to residents of the Carolinas and other mid-Atlantic states, saying the hurricane would be the “storm of a lifetime,” bringing damaging winds, life-threatening storm surges, and “catastrophic flooding.”

President Donald Trump declared states of emergency in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, and evacuation orders were issued to around 1.7 million residents across the three states.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said the impact of the storm would be widespread, hitting the coast early Friday morning. Credit: NASA via Storyful