A view of Hurricane Florence from space

As Hurricane Florence continues its trek across the Atlantic ocean, many are preparing for the storm to smash into the east coast of the United States. But there’s limited time left to prepare, as the hurricane goes from bad to worse.

Many experts are saying that the biggest concern with Hurricane Florence is inland flooding, especially considering that the storm is now likely to become nearly stationary along the Carolina coast and then slowly trudge inland. Adding to these concerns is a new twist in the forecast models.  Many are now indicating a southwestward jog toward Georgia will occur, reported NBC Connecticut.

As of early Wednesday morning, Hurricane Florence had weakened slightly with sustained winds of 130 mph. But this will only exacerbate the already extremely heightened concerns about inland flooding due to torrential rainfall from the hurricane. Also compounding the issue is that the track forecast now shows a dangerous stalling out near the coast, or just onshore by late Thursday or Friday morning, reported ARS Technica.

Most hurricanes produce a combination of storm surge, damaging winds, and excessive rainfall which leads to flooding. All of these can come with varying levels of severity but rarely does a hurricane present all three threats at such an extreme level. Florence is this extreme hurricane, with what the National Hurricane Center called a “life-threatening” storm surge for portions of the North and South Carolina coast. NHC also said there would be “damaging” winds for these same coastal areas.

As recently as Monday morning, hurricane models were forecasting a fairly conventional landfall for Florence, bringing the storm to the coast before bringing it slowly inland on a generally northwestward track. However, recent trends in the forecast models now indicate a rare—if not unprecedented for an Atlantic hurricane this far north and west—turn to the southwest before Florence resumes its west-northwest motion. -ARS Technica

The storm continues to go from bad to worse, rightly worrying those in its path.

Hurricane Florence is currently a Category 4 storm that is gaining power in the Atlantic, although it still about a thousand miles away from any landmass. Florence is aimed dangerously close toward Bermuda and could then hit the Eastern Coast of the United States with a Category 5 fury if the simulations are correct. The Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states would bear the brunt of Florence, but the effects could reach as far as southern Maine. -The Organic Prepper

Regardless of where this storm’s eye hits, the East Coast could be in for some historic flooding. Coastal areas of the Carolinas appear to be the most likely areas to face the greatest threats from this storm. Forecasting modes indicate that broad areas may receive 10 to 30 inches of rain, with higher localized totals of 30 to 40 inches over the next week or so.