New video footage shows the moment scientists flew into the eye of Hurricane Florence to assess the Category 4 storm barrelling towards the East Coast of the US.

The eye was oddly calm as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hurricane Research Division scientist Heather Holbach and others flew from the Caribbean island of Bermuda to survey the southeastern US coast and then meet the storm in the Atlantic Ocean.

The storm is expected to make landfall later this week and in preparation at least 1.5 million people have already been forced to evacuate their homes. Hurricane Florence's winds reach are expected to reach up to 140mph (225 kmh) as it approaches Category 5 strength.

A Category 5 storm has sustained winds of 157 mph or more.

The winds are expected to start reaching the coast of North and South Carolina late .

The Carolinas are expected to face the biggest flooding threat on the coast, but rain and storm conditions are expected throughout the Mid-Atlantic region over the weekend.

Hurricane Florence From Space

The coast of southern Virginia is also expected to experience some storm conditions.

The National Hurricane Center branded it as an "extremely dangerous major hurricane".

Given the havoc wreaked by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria on Texas, Florida, and especially hard-hit Puerto Rico last year, emergency management personnel have urged residents to take the storm seriously.

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

The centre warned of a three major threats:

A rise in ocean levels resulting in a “life-threatening storm surge, life-threatening freshwater flooding from a prolonged and exceptionally heavy rainfall event, [and] damaging hurricane-force winds” on the coast, but also inland.

Florence has grown quickly as well. It was declared a hurricane on 9 September, by the next day it intensified to a Category 3 storm.