Many residents stay in Wilmington as Florence approaches

WILMINGTON, N.C. (NEXSTAR) — Hurricane Florence slowed to a crawl off the North Carolina coast.

The storm may dump a significant amount of rain on the Carolinas as it inches forward.

Some people in Wilmington told Jeff Patterson they weren’t going anywhere. 

The hurricane was creeping slowly toward the coast, moving slowly but incredibly large and not as powerful as initially predicted. On Thursday night, it had been downgraded to a Category 2.

Wilmington and other coastal cities are facing the very real concern of storm surge, which is hard for scientists to predict because of all the factors that come into play. 

Emergency managers recommended that millions of people along the coast evacuate. 

Some people have elected to stay. One woman said she wasn’t going to leave because she has a pit bull and three cats and many emergency shelters and hotels would not accept her pets.

Late Thursday night, gusts of wind and bands of rain were hitting Wilmington, with many trees down, as Florence sat on the coastline. 

If Cape Fear River exceeds its banks, many remaining residents will have to move to higher ground.