September 13, 2018
Explore Oceans/YouTube
As Hurricane Florence nears the coast of North Carolina, the Frying Pan Ocean Cam – located atop Frying Pan Tower in the Atlantic Ocean about 30 miles off the North Carolina coast – is steam some of the most dramatic video of the storm. Frying Pan Tower is a former light station run by the U.S. Coast Guard from the 1960s until 2004. It was manned by 20 coast guardsmen, who lived there full-time until the 1970s. Most recently it was sold in a government surplus sale and became a hotel.
Hurricane Florence is making steady, intimidating steps toward the Southeast coast of the U.S. as it's expected to make landfall in North Carolina sometime overnight Thursday or early Friday morning.
Winds are forecast to surge up to 105 mph and meteorologists are predicting as much as 10 trillion gallons of rainfall will pummel the region.
Officials in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina have issued mandatory evacuation orders for residents in many coastal communities – all together more than 1 million people live in these evacuation zones, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. On Thursday, people who remained were being told it's still not too late to get out of the region, but time is running out.
“My message today: Don’t relax, don’t get complacent, stay on guard,” Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina said Thursday.
As Florence gets closer, the Atlantic Ocean churns more violently and winds strengthen. It all creates dramatic footage to watch from afar. Perhaps seeing the hurricane's destructive force will serve as motivation for people to donate to the cleanup effort lawmakers are predicting will be necessary after the storm passes.
Donations to the American Red Cross can be made here, and here is another list of charities that will be supporting residents in communities impacted by Hurricane Florence.
Of the video that is being streamed live of Florence, some of the most dramatic so far is coming from the Frying Pan Ocean Cam mounted on Frying Pan Tower located in the Atlantic Ocean, more than 30 miles off the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Frying Pan Tower is a former light station run by the U.S. Coast Guard from the 1960s until 2004. It was manned by 20 coast guardsmen, who lived there full-time until 1979. Most recently it was sold in a government surplus sale and became a hotel (the "most dangerous hotel in the world," according to Conde Nast Traveler).
Watch the livestream from the Frying Pan Ocean Cam below:
There is no guarantee how long the Frying Pan Tower cam or these other livestreams below will remain online as Hurricane Florence makes landfall. The following are livestreams from the Outer Banks, North Carolina (Nags Head and Corolla); Sunset Beach March in North Carolina; and Virginia Beach, Virginia.
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