Over 1 million people to be evacuated in US

Baku. 11 September. REPORT.AZ/ More than 1 million people on the southern East Coast of the United States faced mandatory evacuation orders as Hurricane Florence neared Category 5 strength Tuesday, Report informs citing CNN. Florence was upgraded twice Monday, from Category 3 to 4, prompting evacuation orders in coastal areas of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. State government offices, including schools and medical facilities, will be closed in 26 counties. State of Maryland also being prepared for emergency situations.

In South Carolina, mandatory evacuation orders take effect Tuesday at noon in eight counties along the state's 187-mile coastline. Starting then, all roads on I-26 and Route 501 will be directed away from the coast, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said.

Residents boarded up their homes, formed long lines at gas stations and emptied the shelves of hardware stores and supermarkets.