Weather

Hurricane Florence 8 p.m. Notes: ‘Tonight, We’re Seeing the First Casualties of This Powerful Storm’

By A.J. Katz 

At the 8 p.m. ET update, Florence is 15 miles northeast of Myrtle Beach, S.C. The center is moving into extreme eastern South Carolina, and life-threatening storm surges and strong winds will continue this evening.

Maximum sustained winds are at 70 mph (from 75 mph this afternoon), with the storm moving west at only at 3 mph.

According to the NOAA, catastrophic freshwater flooding is expected over portions of North and South Carolina.

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A lot has happened since this afternoon. For one thing, a massive tree landed on a house:

And we must have missed this one earlier in the day:

CNN’s Miguel Marquez checked from Carolina Beach, N.C. for Erin Burnett Outfront. Things don’t seem to be improving in his neck of the woods.

WATCH:

NBC News correspondent Mariana Atencio reporting for MSNBC from Oak Island during the 4 p.m. ET hour.

“Just because the storm has passed us, doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods just yet,” Atencio told Nicolle Wallace.

Jonathan Hunt reporting for The Story with Martha MacCallum from Myrtle Beach, and said that most people “have heeded the warnings to get out, and that’s a very good thing as we face a long week here.”

Each of the evening newscasts originated from Wilmington, N.C. this evening:

“Tonight we’re seeing the first casualties of this powerful storm,” said NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt. “At least five people across North Carolina have died including a mother and her 8-month-old baby killed inside their own home by a downed tree in Wilmington. We were there during the heart wrenching hours as firefighters and first responders rushed to try to save their lives, as massive trees uprooted across the region crashing into streets and homes, firefighters knew that calls like this would be inevitable this morning.”

“Hurricane Florence makes landfall. we were on the air as hurricane Florence slammed ashore, and quickly turned deadly,” said ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir. “The storm churning at this hour. Million still bracing; the terrifying scene; water rising so quickly, families trapped inside their homes and apartments and apartments calling 911; dispatchers telling them to get to the second floor, get to the attic. Our team right there.”

“And here in Wilmington, we’re on the scene; a mother, an infant killed, the father pulled out, the firefighters, and the prayer outside…in the dark, more than a half million without power and growing. and now, the new warnings. flash flooding and tornadoes possible in the coming hours,” Muir continued.

ABC World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News went to regularly scheduled programming in most markets at 7 p.m. ET, while CBS Evening News with Jeff Glor stuck around outdoors for an expanded, one-hour edition of the newscast despite the horrific weather.

“I am standing in a parking lot that for much of the day was part of the swollen cape fear river as we talk about the historic rains associated with Florence,” said Glor, who was reporting from Wilmington. “Florence came ashore this morning as a category 1 hurricane with 90-mile-an-hour winds, 10 miles east of here, in Wrightsville Beach. It has been downgraded now to a tropical storm, but it’s not going anywhere fast. The  governor called Florence, “an uninvited brute who doesn’t want to leave.”

“Florence is now blamed for at least five deaths. nearly a million homes and businesses lost power, so this will be a night in the dark for a lot of people in the carolinas,” Glor continued.

And the video that’s got everyone talking. Below, a Weather Channel correspondent having a tough time standing upright while filing his report. Then, there are two pedestrians perhaps 50-100 yards away walking down the street seemingly without really any trouble.

In all seriousness though, no network covers inclement weather quite like The Weather Channel, and this has been the case once again over the past few days with Hurricane Florence. Not only that, but it’s also quite likely TWC will rank at or near the top of the basic cable ratings rankings among adults 25-54 when weekly Nielsen numbers are released next Tuesday.

TV NEWS COVERAGE PLANS

ABC News:

  • ABC News will have special coverage of Hurricane Florence beginning Wednesday, September 12.
  • World News Tonight anchor David Muir will anchor the broadcast from North Carolina beginning Wednesday, Sept. 12.
  • 20/20 co-anchor Amy Robach, chief meteorologist Ginger Zee, chief national affairs correspondent Tom Llamas, correspondents Gio Benitez, Steve Osunsami and Victor Oquendo will all report in the field on this storm across the region.
  • Meteorologist Rob Marciano will report from New York.
  • ABC News Live, the network’s 24-hour news channel, will have extensive coverage of Hurricane Florence featuring multiple raw, live feeds of the storm, continuous reports from ABC News’ team of correspondents and meteorologists and live coverage from at least seven ABC affiliates in the affected region.  Comprehensive coverage will be available on ABCNews.com,  The Roku Channel, the ABC News OTT and mobile apps and ABC News social pages (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram). ABC News’ daily news show “On Location” will feature reports from impacted areas with new episodes posting midday, only on Facebook Watch.

“This area of the East Coast has not seen a storm like this in a long time and millions of people will have their lives disrupted and face the possibility of catastrophic flooding that could go on for days,” Wendy Fisher, ABC News vp, newsgathering, told TVNewser. “We are deploying extraordinary resources including many teams to cover every angle, including the federal government’s response, and using the latest technology to transmit and tell this important story 24/7 across ABC News.”

CBS News:

  • CBS News will provide extensive coverage of Hurricane Florence on all broadcasts and platforms with a team of correspondents deployed across several states in the storm’s path.
  • Jeff Glor will lead CBS News’ coverage, anchor the CBS Evening News from the Carolinas beginning Wednesday, Sept. 12, and will anchor on-the-ground coverage all week for CBS This Morning, CBSN and all CBS News platforms.
  • Gayle King, Norah O’Donnell and John Dickerson will anchor coverage on CBS This Morning with a wide-ranging team of journalists reporting in the field.
  • CBS News correspondents David Begnaud, Don Dahler, Adriana Diaz, Kris Van Cleave, DeMarco Morgan, Elaine Quijano and Mark Strassmann will provide continuous coverage from the Carolinas, Virginia and across the Eastern Seaboard for all CBS News broadcasts and platforms.
  • WBBM-TV meteorologist Megan Glaros will track the storm from the field, with WCBS-TV chief weathercaster Lonnie Quinn providing the latest weather updates from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York.
  • CBSN and CBSNews.com will provide the latest updates at www.cbsnews.com/florence.
  • Anthony Mason, Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson will anchor CBS This Morning: Saturday, and report the latest on Florence with extensive reporting from the correspondents in the field.
  • In addition, CBS Sunday Morning, and CBS Weekend News will provide original reporting on the impact of Hurricane Florence.

CNBC:

  • Contessa Brewer, Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Jackie DeAngelis, Wilmington, NC

CNBC also has remote reporting from Kaitlyn McGrath, NBC’s WVIT (Connecticut) meteorologist, as well as continued reporting of the economic/business aspects from various reporters.

CNN:

CNN will have anchors and correspondents positioned throughout the region and will provide extensive coverage of Hurricane Florence and its after effects.

CNN ANCHORS

  • Anderson Cooper – Wilmington, NC
  • John Berman –  Wilmington, NC
  • Chris Cuomo – North Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Don Lemon – Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Victor Blackwell – Myrtle Beach, SC
  • George Howell/CNNI – Wilmington, NC
  • Gustavo Valdes/CNNE – Wilmington, NC

CNN REPORTERS

North Carolina

  • Derek Van Dam in Carolina Beach
  • Kaylee Hartung in Wilmington
  • Dianne Gallagher in New Bern
  • Ed Lavandera in Jacksonville
  • Brian Todd in Wilmington
  • Miguel Marques in Carolina Beach
  • Martin Savidge in Wilmington
  • Omar Jimenez /Newsource in Wilmington
  • Natasha Chen/Newsource in Wilmington
  • Bob Van Dillen/HLN in Wilmington

South Carolina

  • Nick Valencia in Myrtle Beach
  • Scott McLean in Myrtle Beach
  • Elizabeth Cohen in Charleston
  • Nick Watt in North Myrtle Beach
  • Drew Griffin in Myrtle Beach
  • Polo Sandoval in Columbia
  • Erica Hill in Charleston
  • Yom Pomrenze/Newsource in Myrtle Beach
  • Yilber Vega/CNNE in Myrtle Beach
  • Ana Maria Mejia/CNNE in Charleston
  • CNN Digital coverage of Hurricane Florence:
    • CNN Digital is providing full coverage across CNN Digital properties and tracking Hurricane Florence at CNN.com/Florence
    • Audiences in the Carolinas and parts of Georgia will see a geo targeted version of the CNN.com homepage with news focused on Hurricane Florence
    • Additionally, CNN has created a lite version of their main homepage in both English and Spanish designed specifically for people with weak cell phone connections so they can keep up with the latest storm tracker and related news. It can be bookmarked at lite.cnn.com

Fox News/FBN:

  • Fox News will continue to present live breaking news coverage surrounding Hurricane Florence as the Category 4 storm travels towards the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast.
  • America’s Newsroom co-host Bill Hemmer will report live from Wilmington, NC beginning Thursday.
  • FNC correspondents Steve Harrigan, Rick Leventhal, Jonathan Hunt, Griff Jenkins, Jonathan Serrie, Leland Vittert, Lauren Blanchard and Ray Bogan, along with FBN’s Jeff Flock, will be reporting live from various locations in North Carolina throughout the duration of the storm.
  • Fox & Friends’ Todd Piro will be reporting live from Wilmington, NC
  • Correspondent Steve Harrigan will be reporting live from North Topsail Beach, NC
  • Senior correspondent Rick Leventhal will be reporting live from Wrightsville Beach, NC
  • FBN Correspondent Jeff Flock will be reporting live from Atlantic Beach, NC
  • FBN Correspondent Kristina Partsinevelos will be reporting live from Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Correspondent Griff Jenkins will be reporting live from Moorehead City, NC
  • Correspondent Leland Vittert will be reporting live from Moorehead City, NC
  • Correspondent Ellison Barber will be reporting live from Florence, SC
  • Correspondent Jonathan Hunt will be reporting live from Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Correspondent Jonathan Serrie will be reporting live from Wrightsville Beach, NC
  • Correspondent Lauren Blanchard will be reporting live from Wilmington, NC
  • Correspondent Ray Bogan will be reporting live from Wilmington, NC
  • On Friday, FBN will be live starting at 4 a.m. ET, with a special edition of FBN:AM.
  • FBN’s global markets editor Maria Bartiromo will present a special four-hour edition of Mornings with Maria (5 – 9 a.m. ET) to cover the storm’s developments and its economic impact.

NBC News/MSNBC:

  • NBC News, MSNBC, and NBC News digital are deploying full network and digital resources to cover Hurricane Florence as it approaches the Southeast coastal region. Below are coverage plans as of Wednesday afternoon – we will continue to cover the storm around-the-clock.
  • Beginning today, NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt anchors from Wrightsville Beach, and news anchor Craig Melvin reports for NBC’s Today and MSNBC from Wilmington, N.C.
  • Today weather anchor Al Roker will track the storm reporting for Today, NBC Nightly News and MSNBC.
  • Today weather anchor Dylan Dreyer is on the ground in Wrightsville Beach, N.C. reporting on the timing of Hurricane Florence’s impact, what the experience will be like for those who stay through the storm, and the potential damage left in the storm’s wake.
  • On Monday, Dreyer flew above Hurricane Florence with NOAA Hurricane Hunters for a mission to track data on the massive storm.
  • NBC News senior national correspondent and Sunday anchor of NBC Nightly News Kate Snow will contribute from the ground starting Friday.
  • Melvin and Ali Velshi will anchor MSNBC coverage from the ground in Wilmington, N.C. throughout the day.
  • Chris Jansing anchors MSNBC overnight coverage beginning at midnight on Thursday, Sept. 13.
  • Meteorologist Bill Karins reports on the storm’s progression.
  • NBC News’ coverage continues on NBCNews.com/Florence with livestreams of all special coverage and NBC News’ hurricane tracker. Additionally, NBC News digital reporter John Schuppe will be on the ground in North Carolina telling the stories of families riding out the storm and those seeking higher ground.

NBC News and MSNBC correspondents will report from locations across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia as the storm progresses including:

Correspondents include:

  • Miguel Almaguer in Wilmington, NC
  • Mariana Atencio in Oak Island, NC
  • Matt Bradley in Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Joe Fryer in Jacksonville, NC
  • Jay Gray in Carolina Beach, NC
  • Gabe Gutierrez in Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Garrett Haake in New Bern, NC
  • Tammy Leitner in Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Hans Nichols in Camp Lejeune, NC
  • Cal Perry in Wilmington, NC
  • Kerry Sanders in Carolina Beach, NC
  • Gadi Schwartz in Beaufort, NC
  • Kate Snow in Wilmington, NC

Today and through the night, MSNBC continues to provide around-the-clock coverage as the storm moves inland:

  • Craig Melvin anchors from the ground in Wilmington, NC
  • Ali Velshi anchors from the ground in Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Chris Jansing anchors overnight coverage

Meteorologist Bill Karins reports on the storm’s progression

The Weather Channel:

  • Dave Malkoff, Reynolds Wolf and Tevin Wooten – Charleston, SC
  • Chris Bruin – Columbia, SC
  • Alex Wallace – Fayetteville, NC
  • Julie Martin – FEMA HQ in Washington
  • Justin Michaels – Hilton Head, SC
  • Chris Warren and Paul Goodloe – Morehead City, NC
  • Jen Carfagno and Mike Bettes – Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Alex Wilson and Stephanie Abrams – Wilmington, NC –
  • Jim Cantore and Mike Seidel – Wrightsville Beach, NC

Telemundo:

  • Jose Diaz-Balart will anchor Noticias Telemundo coverage from the Carolinas.
  • In addition to having a satellite truck and portable satellite technology on site, Noticias Telemundo will have three correspondents (Rogelio Mora-Tagle, Javier Vegas and Jorge Miramontes) and its main anchor (José Díaz-Balart) on site. Two correspondents arrived yesterday to Wilmington.
  • NBC’s John Morales will be a special guest of Telemundo’s coverage.

Univision:

Despierta America (morning show) & Primer Impacto (daily news magazine) live shots from Wilmington, North Carolina

  • Carolina Rosario
  • Juan Carlos Guzman

Edición Digital (daily noon newscast) & Noticiero Univision (6:30 p.m. newscast) live shots from the North Carolina/South Carolina border

  • Angie Sandoval
  • Inocente Alvarez

Noticiero Univision & Edicion Nocturna from Charleston, South Carolina

  • Arantxa Loizaga (Anchoring)
  • Andres Sanchez
  • Mara Robles
  • Pedro Ultreras
  • Martin Guzman

Carolina Rosario will be assigned to work for Univision’s weekly newsmagazine Aqui y Ahora this weekend.

Al Punto with Jorge Ramos will be done by Univision News Anchor Arantxa Loizaga.

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