i'm stephanie ramos. >> and i'm kendis gibson. have a good day and best wishes to our friends in north carolina. good morning, america. hurricane florence slamming the east coast right now east coast right now pounding the coast with life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds. hitting 90 miles an hour. >> the emergency situation right now in new bern, north carolina. hundreds are trapped in homes, on roof n. cars. we're speaking with some of them live as rescue crews and the volunteer cajun navy race to save them. >> now fears growing of catastrophic flooding. up to 40 inches ofrain. a month's worth in just a few days. power already knock the out for hundreds of thousands. we're tracking the monster storm as it barrels ashore on our air. our team right there in the storm zone. a special edition of "good morning america" starts now.

>> announcer: live in times square and across the storm zone this is a special of "gma," hurricane florence, state of emergency. good morning, america. let's get right to that breaking news. hurricane florence has hit the east coast right now. want to take a live look at wilmington, north carolina, right there. we have amy robach there. our correspondents, you see the wind is picking up across wilmington right now. the rain coming down. hurricane florence hit as a category 1. >> we'll talk to ginger but it's roaring ashore packing winds topping 90 miles per hour. one of the reasons it's so dangerous, it's moving slowly. just hovering over towns, hammering them for hours with torrential rain up to 40 inches in some areas. >> we're already seeing that life-threatening storm surge, up to ten feet in new bern, north carolina, where the situation is growing so desperate, rescue crews have already been called this to save hundreds of people. >> we'll talk to the mayor of new bern in a moment. our extreme weather team is spread out over the storm zone. we'll begin with "world news

tonight" anchor david muir in wilmington, north carolina, where they're seeing that torrential rain right now. good morning, david. >> robin, george, michael, good morning to you. the eye of hurricane florence is expected right here in wilmington imminently. in fact, the eyewall has already made landfall. it's moving inland. you can see the winds are just ferocious right now. wind gusts reported up to 97 miles per hour right on the coast. and i want to show you over here just how strong this is as it comes in and as you mentioned there's already an emergency situation playing out north of here in new bern, north carolina, where a number of people have already had to be rescued. 150 people remain on the second floor in their attics with the waters fast rising in that city. two rivers converging there, both of those rose so rapidly people had no time to get out of their homes, take a look. this morning, hurricane florence now crashing into the carolina coast.

>> there it goes. >> as fears of catastrophic flooding have already been realized. in new bern, north carolina, an emergency situation already playing out. the formerly calm streets have now been flooded as waves reach first floor windows. >> it is starting to get deep. >> reporter: 200 residents already rescued and tell us 150 are still trapped. the town is advising residents to move up to a second floor or an attic because, quote, we are coming to get you. this house fire igniting after a transformer blew in the hurricane's path. firefighters hitting on the front door putting out that inferno. in jacksonville rescuers summoned to a triangle motor inn where they have rescued people there as well. the jacksonville high school is completely submerged. 300,000 north carolina residents are without power this morning. authorities are now warning people to prepare for days, possibly weeks in the dark. with winds now raging up to 90 miles per hour, so strong the

roof of this gas station collapsed. that floor then blowing away. in some areas rainfall could hit 40 inches or more and life-threatening storm surges now on the rise even as high as 11 feet already inundating homes. >> look how deep this is now. >> reporter: florence's earliest v vics along the coast, the barrier islands, take a look at the waves crashing inside this home in north topsail beach. first responders this morning now bracing for the worthwhile officials urge people who did stay here to stay vigilant. >> to anyone still unwilling to take this storm seriously, let me be clear, you need to get yourself to a safe place now and stay there. >> reporter: inside the command center here in wilmington, the city's police chief telling us his family has already evacuated. >> when you look at that hurricane over your shoal what

ke concerns you most? >> i see a biblical proportion flood event that's going to occur. i see the beach communities being inundated with water and destruction that will be pretty, pretty epic in nature. >> it was striking when i heard him say it will be biblical. look at the sheer amount of water already arriving in the eye of florence isn't even here yet. what they're most concerned about is the rain. expected up to 40 inches of rain and this is going to last all the way through today and into tomorrow, robin. they know that that storm surge is a real issue as that emergency situation plays out in new bern where there are multiple families, a number of them still in their homes, again, some of them on the second floor, there is one report this morning we talked to an emergency official in new bern who told us that there are some people on top of their roofs so we will stay on this all morning long. >> i spoke with the mayor of new

bern. we'll share that in just a moment but what else did the police chief say about the biggest concern right now there where you are, david? >> reporter: you heard the authorities there say take these warnings seriously and get out. time has run out to do that. you got to hunker down and what the police chief told me what concerns him most, robin, is the fact now that florence is just about here it's going to be churning here for hours. this is a really slow mover. it's a monster of a storm. more than 400 miles wide and he wants everyone to know if they're in need of help, it could take hours, if not a full day or more to get to them so this is a very dire situation already beginning to play out here. >> yes, we want you and everybody in the crew to stay safe as possible. but thank you, david. we'll get back to you in just a little bit. >> you can see how strong those winds are from hurricane florence. ripping roofs off of buildings, ginger is in the thick of it right now in wilmington, north carolina. and, ginger, you've seen 12

hours of tropical storm force wins and could see another 0 hours through tomorrow night. >> that is quite an unbelievable feeling because right now we are in the most vicious part of this storm, the eyewall with gusts upwards of 91 miles per hour, the national hurricane center just put out the statement landfall is imminent so it is happening at wrightsville beach likely and get the final report here very soon. you're seeing on the radar as that thing come as shore so slowly we have been tortured here with gusts up to 100 miles per hour, one of the buoys, 97. the numbers and wind are amazing and they will stay with us. that's the craziest part of this is that the extent of it, 0 mil -- 80 miles outside the center. watch the clock. that red, that's hurricane force. that stays with us through tomorrow morning just north and west of myrtle beach so just because you're not in wilmington this morning and not in this

washing machine that is florence, don't think that you aren't getting it. it's just taking its sweet time to get to you. the other thick is while i've been standing here, power at transformers blowing and the sky filling with green and the sun just coming up. i'm about to experience something with a lot of other folk, seeing that video as the sky lit up. i'm about to experience something after this vicious eyewall gets out of here that i haven't yet as a storm chaser in nearly 20 years. we are about to see the eye. we'll be able to see straight up, things will go from this to calm within the 8:00 hour and you'll see that coming up here on "good morning america." >> all right, ginger. you can just see the sheer power of the storm just from you standing there and from images earlier. amy is also in wilmington and, amy, tell us what you're experiencing right now. >> reporter: i'm just a couple blocks away from ginger and from david and we've been out here for close to two hours and the deteriorating conditions are

astounding. people talk about, oh, it's just a category 1 storm, it's been downgraded. i'm telling you this is what a category 1 storm looks like. it is ferocious and these winds are whipping and we've been talking about it. it's not moving quickly so this is going to be the state of things here in wilmington, north carolina and beyond for hours and hours and hours and we are in a very safe location. we actually have protection from the wind which is hard to believe when you see the power of this wind right now. this is why authorities have urged people if you decided to stay to hunker down. when we walked into our lobby our lobby of our hotel already flooded with water and we already saw downed trees in the two blocks we had to drive to get to this location. we're high up, about six stories up right now so safe from any floodwaters, but, of course the rain and flooding is what people are most concerned about and, yes, wilmington is in the dark. we are without power and anyone

who has a generator might be lucky because there is no power here in this area and authorities expect those numbers to increase throughout the coastline here but we are safe and i have to hold on. these winds are no joke coming in and bracing for the worst throughout the morning and afternoon, guys. back to you. >> thank you, amy. you see that and really it's just getting started, unfortunately and please hunker down and be safe. >> we've been hearing about that desperate situation in new bern. want to go to one couple trapped, jay and sherry schreiber and joining us by phone. tell us, jay, exactly where you are. i know you're in your condo up on the second floor. >> we are next to the doubletree hotel facing the trent river watching it rise up. >> how high is it? >> yeah, i would say it's probably 12 feet up from normal and even if the storm were to

stop right now, it would still take almost a week for all that water to drain out. >> wow, so what are you seeing from your windows at this moment? >> i see the water is up to the railroad trestle. a lot of debris out there. heavy things that shouldn't be this close to buildings. there's the catamarans that are tied off, they are almost stretching their ropes. >> were you expecting it to be this bad? >> we knew it would be bad. we had a lot of friends from trent river baptist church and the post office that decided to leave. but where we're at, we have four stories in our building. we can go up higher if we have to. and the trouble in getting back after all this water subsides from new bern, you still have the outlying areas where the water stays even longer so it's a choice of, you know, do you

leave and not be able to get back or you come back, you're halfway and are stuck again. >> are you going to try to ride out the whole storm or are you in touch with authorities to try to find a way out? >> right now we are planning on staying. we have sufficient supplies and a refrigerator and canned goods. we also have a lot of candles and batteries. we've got some good people in the building also that stayed with us. >> well, you sound calm. we hope you're okay. we're glad you've got the supplies there and we know it's a tough situation right now. good luck over these next several hours, robin. >> staying put where they are. turn to rob who is tracking the storm and has the latest on where it is right now and where it's heading. good morning, rob. >> good morning. unfortunately it slowed down. that's what we talked about. that's what we feared and it is a large lumbering storm. the size on the satellite picture extends across the entire state or coastline of

north carolina, almost all of south carolina and stretching up into virginia. now, the myriad of problems including rainfall including just the amount of time that these hurricane-force winds are pounding the coastline. we've already had over 100-mile-an-hour wind gusts last night across atlantic beach out there and we've seen 90 plus-mile-an-hour wind gusts and the eyewall is pushing through there and about to get into the eye of the storm which is the calm of the storm. you get sinking air and in some cases clear skies and get a break. even though there's not a whole lot of convection it is no bargain because actually the winds that extend for hurricane force and tropical storm force extend farther on the eastern flank of this than they do on the western flank which means it will be with us even longer. so we've got the storm push, the storm surge. the deal with north and south carolina is that they have these barrier islands and then they have these sounds that have a lot of water in them and a lot

of rivers that pour into them. they are all jammed up because wins are slamming against the flow of those rivers and seeing serious storm surge aside from the surge that's happening across the beaches there. 7 to 11 feet and several tide cycles and here is your forecast track. so myrtle beach you'll get it as a category 1 likely and keeping strength through much of the day today. and then peeling off towards the northeast which means not so much wind but a lot of rain, not just 20 to 30 here but upwards of 3 to 4 so everybody in the northeastern third of this country will get a piece of florence. >> when you see category 1 don't be fooled by that. just because it's a 1 does not mean it should be taken lightly. >> there is a reason they call it a hurricane. this is a top end category 1 and it is much larger than your typical category 1 storm so the sheer size of this really is daunting. >> okay, rob, thank you. >> jacksonville, north carolina,

also getting pummeled by the storm right now. people trapped in homes and hotels trying to get rescued. abc's victor oquendo is there right now. good morning, victor. >> reporter: good morning, michael. we are getting hammered by hurricane florence right now here in jacksonville. the rain has just been relentless all night long and now these winds are getting even stronger. right around 80 miles per hour. we've checked in with emergency officials. they tell us that the roads are flooded. they're dealing with a lot of downed power lines and there is major structural damage in this area. they had to rescue some 70 people that were stuck inside of a hotel. some of those guests reported basketball size holes in some of their rooms. they had to get everybody out of there. thankfully nobody hurt. here in jacksonville we're about 20 miles inland from the coast. the major concern here is flooding but down there, storm surge. that's their big worry. reports already topping six feet

and given where the eyewall is right now we could be looking at weather like this for many, many hours to come. michael. >> all right, thank you, victor. like you said thankfully no one was hurt. >> wilmington is bearing the brunt of that eyewall right now. we want to go right back to ginger in the middle of it. >> oh, and we are in the middle of it hard. i'm telling you now we have s surmasu surpassed the highest wind gusts they've seen seen the 1960s past fran and past floyd. the wind is not the only issue. i'm seeing streets here, on a very high part in wilmington. i'm seeing streets fill with wear and seen signs flying across the roads here and the deck that we are standing on boards have started ripping up from the end of it. we are in the heart of the storm and eyewall is always the most violent part and we are feeling and seeing that here in wilmington as rob said, even after we get into the eye there's still going to be hours long of at least tropical storm-force winds.

but hopefully nothing like this. all right. we're going -- yeah. those boards are coming up. >> please take shelter. please. >> we'll go back to rob right now and, oh, goodness when you see those kind of scenes, the storm surge just explain to people how dangerous it is. >> we often say, you know, you can hide from the wind but you've got to run from the water. you have to get away from higher ground, you got to get to higher ground from low ground and this is all low ground, tidewater and low country because it is just that. at sea level so we have this storm surge warning a new product out of the national hurricane center to emphasize just how deadly and dangerous storm surge can be because people don't often get the message with it. seven to 11 feet and already seen that in some cases and a couple of high tide cycles of this and the 3d graphic we have shows you exactly what happens when the water -- it's not a tsunami.

this thing bills over time. the wind is driving this, in some cases low pressure but wind piling up the water depending on the bottom part of the ocean h. in the gulf it's worse, on the east coast, it pushing up and infiltrates your home. it does it slowly. people think it's not a big deal then all of a sudden it's in the first floor of your home and in some cases the second floor and that's where we're hearing these calls for help from folks who thought they would be safe but here comes the surge. you are up to date. our coverage continues in a moment. but first time for your weekend getaways.

coming up much more on hurricane florence. we're going back into the storm zone speaking with the mayor of new bern, north carolina, where so many people are trapped in their homes. we the people, defined by the moments we share with our families and our friends.

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hi there. good morning. it is friday, september 14th. thanks for joining us. we're on a little bit earlier because of coverage of hurricane florence this morning. >> really in the thick of it now. mike nicco tracking the monster storm. i'm hearing some are out in the eye. you see the reduced winds when the eye is approaching. >> it gives you a little bit of relief for a few minutes. then the backside of the wall hits you and all heck breaks loose again. the eye is over wilmington right now. let me show you the track. that's the line. you see the data points, the circles, look on the right side. look how far apart they are. florence tapped the brakes, slowed down.

right now it is only moving 6 miles per hour with the eye moving right over wilmington as you can see from live doppler. some of the rainfall rates, inch and a half per hour. my biggest concern near the wall is the wind. and that's also stretching out, as you can see, several hundred miles. and look at this in the northeast quadrant where we have the fastest winds and the biggest surge and the most threat, or the greatest threat for tornados, which is even faster. this goes until 5:00 this evening. now, this thing is going to, once again, slide down to the southwest right between myrtle beach and wilmington. then a tropical depression. that's when the rain comes in and the flooding much right now most of the flooding is from the storm surge. but we will see the freshwater flooding inland. >> thank you. >> as hurricane florence slams into the carolinas.

life-threat epping storm surge getting worse. >> emily row is live with the deteriorating conditions there. emily, how are you doing? >> reporter: good morning, jessica. well, it's tough out here to be honest with you, the eyewall is upon us. the gusts of winds are intense. we had to move under more shelter to make sure we stay safe as the wind and the rain really slams this area. florence is moving less than 10 miles per hour inland. but the wind coming with it, ten times as fast. >> these winds keep blowing at that tropical storm rate it will be virtually impossible for the rescuers to get in to rescue you. >> reporter: they are now blasting an area hundreds of miles wide, ripping off this gas

station canopy in top sail sais beach. the storm surge is rushing in. in new bern, people wading through waist-deep water. >> right now i'm currently sit anything my truck watching the water rise, coming towards me. >> reporter: in wilmington, rain coming down sideways in sheets. families who chose to stay and ride it out now bracing for the worst. >> the winds are howling away. i can hear it inside the house >> reporter: shelters overflowing. and you all mentioned the wind. you can see it behind me. you have to brace yourself to stay standing upright. at least 300,000 people are without power in temily, it loo

there. do you have a safe place to be? >> reporter: i'm sorry. say it one more time? >> do you have a saefp spot to be in it looks like you are really getting battered. >> reporter: thank you. we are being very careful. we are close enough to shelter. we have a great crew making sure we are safe. that's one of the things officials have been hammering home. not only should you evacuate, but they are cautioning people from going back too early to try to go check out their homes. if you can imagine being out in these conditions without shelter, a dire situation. it's so rough right now, in fact, that emergency crews and first responders had to pull back their people calling for help. crews cannot get out to them right now because it is just too dangerous. >> seeing that, it is totally understandable. emily rau, thank you so much for your coverage. president trump says the government is completely ready

for hurricane florence. yesterday he met with fema staff healed of the storm for a preparedness briefing. 4,000 federal employees are currently tasked with respond to go florence. you can download our abc 7 news app. be sure to enable push alerts. track the storm from your phone or smart device throughout the morning. police are bracing for more protests outside the moscone center for day three of the global climate action summit. protests normal traffic around the center yesterday. environmental activists say the summit is just for show. one protester was arrested after with what looked like a scuffle in the crowd. thousands of delegates blasted the trump administration. >> when trump says in fact,

like more themethane going intoe air, that is highly destructive. on the path he is now, i don't know, liar, criminal, fool. pick your choice. >> the governor saysed summit is intended to bring plans together to a plan on change. >> the board of directors unanimously approved new transparency guidelines for surveillance. they have to get board approval before seeking money for surveillance. that came a day after sit was revealed some bart oiclsinstallr the police chief found out, he ordered them taken down.

>> we uninstalled the one reared we had and no longer sent any information. somebody cully called and said, hey, make sure you delete all of our information. >> it's not known whether i.c.e. accessed that info. it is 4:30. a quick update on weather and traffic. hi there, matt. >> hi, reggie, jessica. hi, everybody. we have been talking about florence because it is a big weather event. it is stopping the forward progress of weather moving across the u.s. we will be stuck in a cooler than average pattern for several days because of florence. a few low clouds have moved in. here's a look from the explore tore yum camera, pier 15. temperatures in the 50s this morning. low to mid-70s this afternoon. here's alexis. so far so good, mike.