With up to 1.7 million people under mandatory evacuation orders in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, Donald Trump urged people to take seriously the threat of what may be the biggest storm to hit the US’s East Coast in decades. “Get out of its way,” he said at the White House. “Don’t play games with it. It’s a big one.”

With the potentially deadly conditions of Florence around 500 miles away from land, North Carolina residents who decided to stay at home made last minute preparations by stocking up on dwindling emergency supplies.

“My message is clear: disaster is at the doorstep and is coming in,” North Carolina governor Roy Cooper said on Wednesday morning. “The waves and the wind this storm may bring is nothing like you’ve ever seen. Even if you’ve ridden out storms before, this one is different. Don’t bet your life on riding out a monster.”

At the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) in Washington, officials were asked about a report that revealed the Trump administration had shifted nearly $10m (£7.7m) from Fema to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But Jeff Byard, associate administrator for the Office of Response and Recovery, said they had all the resources required.

He said: “This is not going to be a glancing blow. It’s going to be a Mike Tyson punch to the Carolina coast.”

Less than 24 hours before the first signs of the severe winds were expected, people flocked to hardware and food shops to stock up on supplies they hope will help them and their families survive through the worst of the storm, which has shifting between being a category 3 and 4 storm. It was downgraded to category 2 at 11pm on Wednesday night (local time), but forecasters said it would still bring winds of 110mph and a life-threatening storm surge.

Teacher Melissa Powell managed to get the last generator at Fayetteville Home Depot, where a line of cars had formed in the hope of picking up one of the last few on sale in the event of power loss to the region.

Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Show all 20 1 /20 Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Barmen protect their business from the storm and the opportunists Getty Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Many supplies have run out as Hurricane Florence approaches in Nichols, South Carolina AP Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Hurricane Florence seen from space on September 12 AP Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Students of East Carolina University's Coastal Storms class use anemometers to measure wind speeds at Union Point Park in New Bern, North Carolina AP Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Rescue workers are on the scene in James City, North Carolina Getty Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Sixteen hours before Florence even hits land, the Neuse River bursts its banks and floods New Bern, North Carolina Alamy Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Volunteer rescue workers help three children out of their flooded home in James City, North Carolina Getty Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast A boardwalk is damaged in Atlantic Beach on North Carolina's coast Getty Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Union Point Park in New Bern is closed Reuters Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast A child sits in Conway High School, which is being used as an evacuation centre in South Carolina AFP/Getty Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Locals voice their disapproval of the storm in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina Getty Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Volunteer rescue workers help children from their flooded home in James City Getty Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast A man floats down his street in a metal tub after the Neuse River burst its banks in New Bern, North Carolina Getty Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Electric lines are affected in Wilmington, North Carolina Alamy Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Floods in New Bern, North Carolina as Florence approaches Alamy Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Waves crash over a pier on Atlantic Beach in North Carolina as Hurricane Florence approaches AP Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Hurricane Florence is seen from the International Space Station as it churns in the Atlantic Ocean towards the east coast of the US NASA/Reuters Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast This NOAA/RAMMB satellite image taken on September 10, 2018, shows Hurricane Florence off the US' east coast in the Atantic Ocean AFP/Getty Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast In this NOAA satellite handout image, Hurricane Florence is shown travelling west and gaining strength in the Atlantic Ocean southeast of Bermuda on September 10, 2018 Getty Hurricane Florence hits the US East Coast Firefighters rescue people by boat in New Bern, North Carolina Getty

“We got flooded with Hurricane Matthew. It was bad — we watched all the floodwater build. It was scary,” said Ms Powell, who is evacuating to Georgia but bought the generator for her husband, who is staying to help the elderly at their church.

As the hurricane barrelled towards the United States this week, governors, mayors, and county leadership in states from South Carolina up to Maryland, began issuing evacuation orders and declaring states of emergency.

More than 1.7 million people have been ordered to evacuate, and broader emergency efforts have included moving prisoners from detention centres considered at risk, and keeping an eye on Superfund sites in the area that could be hit by the storm and spread dangerous chemicals.

Fema has sent officials to embed with state responding offices to ensure that federal efforts to help are coordinated and effective. Mr Trump, after a series of increasingly stern statements on the storm, declared a state of emergency in North Carolina and Virginia, freeing up federal funds to help in the storm preparation efforts.

“Hurricane Florence is looking even bigger than anticipated,” Mr Trump tweeted on Wednesday. “It will be arriving soon. Fema, First Responders and Law Enforcement are supplied and ready. Be safe!’

But, in spite of the warnings that flooding could wash through North Carolina, posing dangerous risk to life and property, many seem unconcerned.

Donald Trump on Hurricane Florence: 'We'll handle it. We're ready'

“Basically this is going to be – I just can’t describe it,” Kevin Lynn, of Fayetteville, said.

Mr Lynn said that Hurricane Matthew felled trees and flooded his community, leading to lost power and long commutes home. This time he hopes he learned the lesson.

“You go, OK – this time we’re prepared. This year we learned from previous hurricanes,” Mr Lynn said. “I’m not worried at all... if it’s flooded, people need to stay home. It’s not worth risking your life.”

Sergeant Cisco Ramirez, who is stationed at Fort Bragg, had also picked up a generator on Wednesday and said he has no worries about the coming storm. He, his wife, and his two children have fortified their house with sandbags, and stocked up on essentials.

“I’ve been through worse I’m not worried about it,” Mr Ramirez said. “It’s just a little rain. Maybe an excessive amount”.

But for those further towards the coast, the storm’s impact meant packing up and heading inland. This storm might prove too much to survive if they stay too close to the shores.

Shirley Reber, a retired marriage and family therapist from Wrightsville, North Carolina, heeded the warning from state officials and evacuated her coastal community on Tuesday, and said she made the trip to Fayetteville on back roads with her three cats in tow.

“If it’s a category 2 then I’ll stay. 3, it’s like missiles. 4, it’s Katrina,” she said, referring to the storm that hit New Orleans in 2005 and left more than 1,800 people dead. “It’s gonna be major, this one is.”