(UTV|COLOMBO) – Five people have been killed as Florence mauls the US East Coast, knocking out power for hundreds of thousands of homes and downing trees.
The weather event has been downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm but forecasters still warn of life-threatening storm surges.
Winds of up to 70mph (110km/h) are also expected for several days as the weather system slowly grinds over.
Evacuation warnings have been in place for 1.7 million people in the area.
Florence is packing sustained winds of 70mph (110 km/h), according to the National Weather Service.
The storm’s third fatality claimed a person who was killed while plugging in a generator in Lenoir County, according to the governor’s office.
