Hurricane Florence: Officials Offer Little Advice On Where Evacuees Should Go to Avoid Potentially Devastating Inland Flooding

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Millions of residents under evacuation orders along the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic coast may be wondering where they should go with the threat of prolonged, inland flooding looming from Hurricane Florence. 

While state and local officials are mandating the evacuation of residents along the coast, they offer little advice on where to go to avoid inland flooding. For the most part, they are sticking with emergency plans already in place that typically advise evacuees to head to higher ground away from the coast.

But Hurricane Florence is not only expected to affect the coastline with battering hurricane-force winds, heavy rain and potentially-deadly storm surge. It may become a lengthy rain event that could lead to catastrophic flooding in some areas much farther inland.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Florence is expected to produce 15 to 20 inches of rain from a "prolonged and exceptionally heavy rain event" that may extend for "hundreds of miles" inland, with isolated totals to 30 inches over parts of North Carolina, Virginia and northern South Carolina through Saturday. 

"Some heavier bands of rain may also spread as far north as the Washington D.C. metro area and will likely spread into parts of the Appalachians, as well," notes weather.com senior meteorologist Jon Erdman. 

To avoid potential fresh-water flooding, evacuees may need to travel much farther inland to be in the all clear from this secondary threat.

"This is going to produce heavy rainfall, and it may not move very fast. The threat will be inland, so I'm afraid, based on my experience at FEMA, that the public is probably not as prepared as everybody would like," Craig Fugate, former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told the Associated Press.

Fugate told weather.com that evacuations from storm surge are in "defined areas based on work done by the Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA and the National Hurricane Center working with state and local officials."

"Those are the areas undergoing evacuation orders," Fugate said. "Outside of the storm surge evacuation zones, it is less defined. Since flash flooding is based on rainfall, soil conditions, ground cover and terrain, there is less definition of areas prior to the flood event."

Fugate noted that in many cases local officials will advise moving to higher ground for those in flood-prone areas outside of the storm surge areas.

Fugate added that state and local officials determine where evacuees should go in their communities when flooding occurs.

"[It] is not always how are inland you go, but can you reach higher ground," he said. 

(MORE: Potentially Disastrous Threat From Florence: Inland Flooding After Record Summer Rain)

Evacuations have been ordered in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia ahead of the storm. 

On Tuesday morning, the state's departments of transportation and public safety initiated lane-reversal on I-26 from Charleston to Columbia, Highway 501 in Myrtle Beach, and Highway 278 and Highway 21 in Beaufort County.

According to the South Carolina 2018 Hurricane Guide, evacuees are told to "consider staying in a hotel or with family and friends outside the vulnerable area. Learn safe routes inland. Be ready to drive at least 20 to 50 miles inland to locate a safe place."

In North Carolina, evacuations were ordered for the Outer Banks, Ocracoke Island and Brunswick County. Several towns, including North Topsail Beach, Jacksonville, New Bern, Moreshead City and Atlantic Beach, are also under evacuation orders. 

Authorities in North Carolina told weather.com they are reminding residents that the threat is more than just a threat at the beach. 

Bill Holmes, director of public affairs for the North Carolina Department of Information Technology, told weather.com that state officials are and are not telling people where they should go, only that they should leave the coast. 

Michael Baker of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety echoed Holmes' response, saying: "While most of the state is under threat of severe weather, traveling inland to another portion of the state may/may not be the best avenue depending on rainfall predictions. At this time, we are not providing specific areas to evacuate as we are not sure what portions of our state will be most impacted."

According to Ready NC's website, which is maintained by the state's department of public safety: "If possible, leave and go to a friend’s home in a safe area. Next, try a motel or hotel. As a last resort, go to a shelter. Remember, shelters are not made for comfort."

(MORE: The Latest on Hurricane Florence's Track)

A similar response was offered by authorities in Virginia, where about 245,000 residents in low-lying areas of Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore were told to evacuate.

"We ask those who are in the Zone A evacuation zone to evacuate to higher ground," Jeff Caldwell, external affairs director and chief spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, told weather.com "This may be just traveling a few miles to higher elevations within their community, or traveling elsewhere in Virginia or up the east coast to avoid impacts of the storm.

"We are very concerned about inland flooding from this storm, so we are cognizant of challenges with evacuating from one impacted area into another potentially impacted area," Caldwell added. "Local governments are also working to establish shelters to help those who do not have another place to go."

Weather Underground meteorologist Dr. Jeff Masters says evacuees should head to shelters to ensure their safety.

"Designated shelters will be safe since they are not sited in flood zones," said Masters. "Evacuees should stay away from locations that have a known history of repeated river flooding."

Before heading to a shelter, however, do make arrangements for your pets since most shelters do not allow them.