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Hurricane Florence has made landfall on the US East Coast, bringing with it winds, heavy rains and warnings of "catastrophic" floods.
The centre of the storm struck Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina, with gales of up to 90mph (150 km/h).
Its outer bands have already inundated coastal areas. Scores of people are currently waiting to be rescued in the city of New Bern.
Evacuation warnings are in place for more than a million people, according to BBC.
Nearly half a million power outages have been reported across North Carolina, according to the state's emergency management agency.
The governor of North Carolina said surviving the storm would be a test of "endurance, teamwork, common sense, and patience".
"The first bands of the storm are upon us but we have days more to go," Roy Cooper said.
"This is an uninvited brute that just won't leave," said he.
National Weather Service forecaster Brandon Locklear said North Carolina is likely to see eight months' worth of rain in two to three days.
Thousands of miles away meanwhile a huge typhoon is moving towards the Philippines. More than five million people are in the path of Super Typhoon Mangkhut, officials say.