Florence: historic flooding predicted as storm lingers over Carolinas – as it happened

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9.03pm BST

Enormous search and rescue efforts are underway in North and South Carolina, where days of rain and flooding have driven thousands from their homes.

Related: This is how the world ends: will we soon see category 6 hurricanes?

8.54pm BST

Khushbu Shah writes for the Guardian from Rice's Creek, North Carolina, a town of 27 people.

Rice's Creek is in a low-lying, rural, unincorporated area of Brunswick county. It was seeing the waters rise, in real time.

Related: 'It's bad, bad, bad': Rice's Creek residents see Florence waters rise fast