Hurricane Florence 2018

Only about 1% of homes in North Carolina's inland counties are insured through the National Flood Insurance Program, compared with 25% to 50% of homeowners on the coast. The uninsured will have to rely on federal funding, which usually provides $30,000, whereas the average flood insurance policy tops out at $250,000 and costs $700 annually.

Climate-induced warmer ocean temperatures caused the destructive potential of Florence's peak wind speeds to increase by about a third. Moreover, Florence's storm surge intensified over of a period of several days. Lastly, warmer ocean temperatures and Florence's slow movement have increased the risk of inland flooding.

For Myrtle Beach's poorest residents, Hurricane Florence is a reminder of the city’s economic and racial inequality. Many residents cannot afford to invest in risk reduction measures for their homes, and also cannot leave because they cannot afford a car. Their only option is to rely on the bonds they have forged with other community members.

According to a landmark forecast, Hurricane Florence is expected to bring about 50% more precipitation, delivering as much as 20in (51cm) of rainfall in coastal areas, than it otherwise would if human activity had not warmed the planet. This is the first climate change attribution made before a storm actually reaches the shoreline.

Even by normal hurricane standards, Florence is severe because it is expected to stall and repeatedly pound the same parts of the Carolinas. The area covered by Florence's hurricane-force winds has doubled, its storm surge will be in the 20-foot range, causing massive flooding and impacting people not used to big hurricanes.