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Residents in the eastern United States are bracing for Florence as it barrels toward the region, posing a serious threat to lives and property.

A state of emergency has been declared in four states — South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland, as well as Washington, D.C. — to help people prepare for the hurricane.

“There’s never been a storm like Florence. It was located farther north in the Atlantic than any other storm to ever hit the Carolinas, so what we’re forecasting is unprecedented,” AccuWeather Vice President of Forecasting and Graphics Operations Marshall Moss said.

(AP Photo/Mic Smith) Walker Townsend (right), from Isle of Palms, South Carolina, fills a sandbag held by Dalton Trout, in a municipal parking lot where sand is distributed free of charge in preparation for Hurricane Florence’s arrival.

Evacuations began on Tuesday morning as people living near the coasts of South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia fled inland. Traffic patterns were altered to help speed up evacuation efforts, including lane reversals on several major roads in South Carolina.

Residents in the path of the storm have been stocking up for days, leading to long lines at gas stations and empty shelves at grocery stores all across the region. Some gas stations have already run out of fuel.

Download the free AccuWeather app to stay up to date with Florence’s expected track and impacts to the eastern U.S. coast.