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Carolina Beach, North Carolina (CNN) Officials in the potential path of a still fierce Hurricane Florence had a stern, clear message for people still in coastal towns under evacuation orders.

Leave. Now.

"You put your life at risk by staying," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said. "Don't plan to leave once the winds and rains start."

Cooper and his South Carolina counterpart, Henry McMaster, told the more than 1 million people who have been told to leave that if they don't, they are on their own.

In Carolina Beach, authorities at 8 p.m. stopped allowing traffic to the island via the only bridge between the island and the mainland. They also instituted a 24-hour curfew. Officials worry that as many as 1,000 of the town's 6,300 residents are staying in the town, which is less than 5 feet above sea level.

Town Manager Mike Cramer said law enforcement officers will try to assess how many people are still on the island immediately south of Wilmington.

Mayor Joe Benson said the storm will batter the oceanside town through two high tide periods. Storm surge of 13 feet on top of a high tide at 7 feet could overwhelm Carolina Beach.

"Our sand dunes are healthy but they're not going to be able to keep back a wall of water like that," he said. "Flooding is almost guaranteed."

Florence is forecast to crawl up to the North Carolina coast late this week and turn slowly left -- a development that would smash the Tar Heel State with life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic winds and inundating rain while also endangering a large portion of South Carolina.

Florence, one of the strongest storms on the Eastern Seaboard in decades , is a strong Category 2 hurricane with winds of 110 mph. It is predicted to deliver tropical-storm-force winds by noon Thursday to North Carolina's coast, and hurricane-force winds and dangerous storm surges by late Thursday or early Friday. Tornadoes are possible Thursday in eastern North Carolina.

Latest developments

• Location: By 11 p.m. Wednesday, the storm was about 280 miles east-southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph.

• Rain and storm surges: The National Hurricane Center warned that although wind speeds in Florence have dropped, wind fields are still expanding, and Florence has more total energy, which will "create a significant storm surge event." Florence could bring life-threatening storm surges, up to 13 feet.

• 10 million under warning or watch: The National Weather Service said more than 10 million people live in areas under warnings or watches for hurricane- or tropical storm- force winds.

• The punishing crawl: Florence's predicted slow southward turn on Friday would mean some coastal areas could get damaging hurricane-force winds for more than 24 hours. "If this blows at 120 mph for four hours, ... you lose a shingle every two minutes, and all of the sudden, you've lost your whole roof after four hours," CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said.

• 83-foot wave: The hurricane center said wave heights in the worst part of Florence are as high as 83 feet. "These enormous waves are produced by being trapped along with very strong winds moving in the same direction as the storm's motion."

Residents flee as storm gets closer

Forecast models predict Florence's center may slow to a crawl just off North Carolina early Friday and make a southwesterly turn -- punishing the coast while moving perhaps only 2 to 3 mph. When and where it will make landfall is unclear.

A worker at a marina in Swansboro, North Carolina, hurries to move boats into storage on Wednesday.

The precipitation from Florence will start midday Thursday and then it will rain for four days, said CNN Meteorologist Tom Sater.More than 1 million people are under mandatory evacuations in Virginia and the Carolinas, where up to 40 inches of rain could fall.

Hurricane and storm surge warnings are in place from South Santee River, South Carolina, to Duck, North Carolina. Hurricane warnings are issued 36 hours before tropical-storm-force winds hit the areas. Storm surge warnings indicate a danger of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline during the coming 36 hours.

As Florence closed in, some residents weighed whether to ride it out.

McMaster told residents in some counties that emergency responders will be pulled from areas expected to be hit hard.

"Even the rescuers cannot stay there," he said.

Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Maura Walbourne sits in the front of a canoe as she looks inside her flooded home in Conway, South Carolina, on Sunday, September 23. Hide Caption 1 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath A home in Conway, South Carolina, is inundated by floodwaters on Wednesday, September 26, one week after Hurricane Florence. Hide Caption 2 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Taylor James navigates floodwaters in a boat in front of Trinity United Methodist Church in Conway, South Carolina on Wednesday, September 26. Hide Caption 3 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Floodwaters from the Neuse River cover part of Kinston, North Carolina, on Monday, September 24. Hide Caption 4 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Brian Terry looks at the floodwaters outside his home in Brittons Neck, South Carolina, on Saturday, September 22. Hide Caption 5 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath An officer with the South Carolina State Highway Patrol marks the water level of Highway 22 on Saturday. Hide Caption 6 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Avery Singleton takes a boat to Pine Grove Baptist Church in Brittons Neck, South Carolina, on Saturday. Hide Caption 7 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath President Donald Trump hands out food at Temple Baptist Church, where food and other supplies were being distributed Wednesday, September 19, as part of Hurricane Florence recovery efforts in New Bern, North Carolina. Hide Caption 8 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Trump shakes hands as he visits the New Bern church on Wednesday. Hide Caption 9 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath A woman in Currie, North Carolina, sits on a damaged road surrounded by floodwaters on Tuesday, September 18. Hide Caption 10 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Ronnie Gainey pulls an electric guitar from his flooded home in Darlington, South Carolina. Hide Caption 11 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Two people near Wallace, South Carolina, sit on the top of a vehicle that was caught in flooding on Monday, September 17. Hide Caption 12 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Rescue personnel help people evacuate a flooded area in Spring Lake, North Carolina. Hide Caption 13 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Floodwaters surround a trailer in Pollocksville, North Carolina, on September 17. Hide Caption 14 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Pollocksville resident Willie Schubert cradles his dog, Lucky, atop a stranded van as they await help from the US Coast Guard on September 17. Hide Caption 15 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Floodwaters are seen on North Carolina's Emerald Isle on Sunday, September 16. Hide Caption 16 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Chicken farm buildings are inundated with floodwaters near Trenton, North Carolina, on September 16. Hide Caption 17 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Panicked dogs left caged by their owner are rescued by volunteer Ryan Nichols in Leland, North Carolina, on September 16. Hide Caption 18 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath A church is partially submerged in Richlands, North Carolina, on September 16. Hide Caption 19 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Coast Guard member Blake Gwinn helps Josephine Horne escape her flooded home in Columbus County, North Carolina, on September 16. Hide Caption 20 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath A large tree lies on top of a mobile home in Newport, North Carolina, on September 16. Hide Caption 21 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath John Hendren leads horses to safety after the US Coast Guard helped cut up a fallen tree that had trapped the animals in a flooded field in Lumberton, North Carolina. Hide Caption 22 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Tony Thompson stands in the wreckage of his mobile home as Florence moved inland over Newport, North Carolina, on September 16. Hide Caption 23 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath A woman and a young girl walk down a flooded road in Pollocksville on September 16. Hide Caption 24 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Floodwaters inundate parts of Trenton, North Carolina, on September 16. Hide Caption 25 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Members of the Coast Guard help a stranded motorist in floodwaters in Lumberton, North Carolina, on September 16. Hide Caption 26 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath A man peers from his flooded home in Lumberton on September 16. Hide Caption 27 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Members of a search-and-rescue team help an elderly resident onto a bus as they evacuate an assisted living facility in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Saturday, September 15. Hide Caption 28 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath A member of the US Coast Guard checks on homes after Florence hit Newport, North Carolina, on September 15 . Hide Caption 29 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath A neighbor takes photos of a boat smashed against a car garage near the Neuse River in New Bern on Saturday. Hide Caption 30 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath A truck is submerged in floodwaters in Jacksonville, North Carolina, on Saturday. Hide Caption 31 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Joseph Eudi surveys debris and storm damage at a home in New Bern, North Carolina, on September 15. Hide Caption 32 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath A woman calls for help at her flooded residence as Florence brought large amounts of rain and floodwaters to Lumberton, North Carolina, on Saturday. Hide Caption 33 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath People wait in line to fill gas cans at a gas station that was damaged when Florence hit Wilmington, North Carolina, on Saturday. Hide Caption 34 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath A baseball field on Mill Creek Road is filled with floodwater after Florence hit Newport, North Carolina, on Saturday. Hide Caption 35 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Mike Pollack searches for a drain in the yard of his flooded waterfront home in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Saturday. Hide Caption 36 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Floodwaters from Florence inundate the town of Engelhard, North Carolina, on Saturday. Hide Caption 37 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Ray Baca of Wilmington, North Carolina, checks his phone as he sits on a bench. Hide Caption 38 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath A sailboat lifted by storm surge leans against a building at Bridgepointe Marina in New Bern, North Carolina, on Saturday, a day after Florence's landfall. Hide Caption 39 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Kim Adams wades through floodwaters surrounding her home in Southport, North Carolina, on September 15. Hide Caption 40 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Volunteers help rescue three children from a flooded home in James City, North Carolina, on Friday, September 14. Hide Caption 41 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Russ Lewis covers his eyes from wind and sand in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on September 14. Hide Caption 42 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Volunteers help rescue people from their flooded homes in New Bern on September 14. Hide Caption 43 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Waves crash into the Second Avenue Pier in Myrtle Beach on September 14. Hide Caption 44 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath The storm leaves a tree toppled in New Bern on September 14. Hide Caption 45 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Soldiers from the North Carolina National Guard reinforce a low-lying area with sandbags in Lumberton, North Carolina, on September 14. Hide Caption 46 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Robert Simmons Jr. and his kitten are rescued from floodwaters in New Bern on September 14. Hide Caption 47 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Teddie Davis checks on one of the New Bern's signature bear statues toppled by the storm on September 14. Another one of the bears, in the background, ended up in the middle of a downtown street. Hide Caption 48 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Rising waters threaten downtown Washington, North Carolina, as the Pamlico River overruns its banks on September 14. Hide Caption 49 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath An abandoned van sits on a flooded road near New Bern on September 14. Hide Caption 50 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath A boat sits wedged in trees in Oriental, North Carolina, near New Bern, on September 14. Hide Caption 51 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Members of a Federal Emergency Management Agency team from California search a flooded neighborhood in Fairfield Harbour, North Carolina, on September 14. Hide Caption 52 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Rescue workers attempt to remove a giant tree that fell onto a house in Wilmington, North Carolina, on September 14. Two people died when the tree collapsed -- among the first storm-related deaths due to Hurricane Florence. Hide Caption 53 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Electric poles that snapped in half sway from their wires in Wilmington on September 14. Hide Caption 54 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Lee Casteen, left, and Try Hinton use a chainsaw to clear a tree blocking a road in Wilmington on September 14. Hide Caption 55 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Rescue workers help a woman and her dog from a flooded house in James City on September 14. Hide Caption 56 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Michael Nelson floats in a boat fashioned from a metal tub and fishing floats after the Neuse River flooded September 13 in New Bern. Hide Caption 57 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Powerful winds and waves destroy portions of a boat dock and boardwalk in Atlantic Beach on September 13. Hide Caption 58 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Residents wade through streets flooded by the Neuse River in New Bern on September 13. Hide Caption 59 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Astronaut Alexander Gerst posted this photo on Twitter of Hurricane Florence saying, "It's chilling, even from space." Gerst is aboard the International Space Station. Hide Caption 60 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Evacuees take refuge at Burgaw Middle School in Burgaw, North Carolina, on September 12. Hide Caption 61 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Marge Brown says goodbye to her father, George Brown, before his evacuation from a health care home in Morehead City, North Carolina, on September 12. Hide Caption 62 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Workers take boats out of the water in Wanchese Harbor in Wanchese, North Carolina, on September 12 as the Outer Banks prepares for Florence. Hide Caption 63 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Astronaut Gerst also posted this photo to Twitter on September 12, saying, "Watch out, America! #HurricaneFlorence is so enormous, we could only capture her with a super wide-angle lens from the @Space_Station, 400 km directly above the eye. Get prepared on the East Coast, this is a no-kidding nightmare coming for you." Hide Caption 64 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Jeff Bryant, left, and James Evans board the windows of a business in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Tuesday, September 11. Hide Caption 65 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath People fill sandbags in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, on September 11. Hide Caption 66 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Both lanes of Interstate 26 flow westbound in North Charleston, South Carolina, toward Columbia as people evacuate inland on September 11. Hide Caption 67 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Laura Gretch holds Frances, a Chihuahua mix, as she helps unload cats and dogs arriving at the Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington from Norfolk, Virginia, on September 11. Hide Caption 68 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Veronica Gallardo and Robert Kelly place a plastic tarp over an American flag inside the Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia, on September 11. Hide Caption 69 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath A man eyes a store's bare bread shelves as people stock up on food in Myrtle Beach on September 11. Hide Caption 70 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Chuck Ledford, left, watches cartoons on a phone with his daughter Misty as they seek shelter at Emma B. Trask Middle School in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Tuesday, September 11. Hide Caption 71 of 72 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Florence and its aftermath Scott Fleenor, bottom, and Jeremiah Trendell board over the windows of a business in Myrtle Beach. Hide Caption 72 of 72

In Wilmington, Richard King, 64, said Wednesday that he, his wife and perhaps 60 of their neighbors planned to stay. His home, built 1 mile inland in 2016, is raised 25 feet off the ground and is built to withstand 140-mph winds, he said.

"We're a good community up there. We're going to stay tight and check on everybody," he said.

Windows to leave barrier islands are closing

The windows of a mobile home in Wilmington, North Carolina, were boarded up by a family that evacuated Wednesday.

People on barrier islands or peninsulas were running out of time Wednesday to retreat by bridge or ferry.

Ferry service from North Carolina's Bald Head Island already has stopped.

Susan Faulkenberry Panousis said she has stayed on Bald Head during prior hurricanes, but not this time. She packed up what she could and took a ferry Tuesday night.

"When that last ferry pulls out ... it's unnerving to see it pull away and know, 'That's the last chance I have of getting off this island,'" she said Wednesday.

A surfer catches a wave at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, on Wednesday afternoon.

There was also concern over crops. North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said crops such as tobacco and corn are in midharvest while sweet potatoes, peanuts, soybeans and cotton are still in the field.

Contraflow reversal working, SC officials say

In South Carolina, traffic along parts of Interstate 26 and US 501 has been directed away from the coast.

Officials said traffic was moving well Wednesday though there have been two minor accidents in lanes where cars were traveling in the opposite direction from normal.

The contraflow will end Thursday at noon on 501 and at 6 p.m. on I-26.

About 300,000 people have been evacuated from South Carolina, McMaster said. The governor added that a million or more people could be evacuated before the end of the storm.

Emergencies declared in several states

The Federal Emergency Management Agency warned that storm surge watches and warnings are in effect Wednesday for the entire North Carolina coast and parts of South Carolina. It urged residents to heed evacuation orders.

Officials in several states have declared states of emergency, including in the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia and Maryland, where coastal areas are still recovering from summer storms.

Florence's expanse has even captured the attention of the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station, who have been tweeting pictures of the storm back to Earth.

Watch out, America! #HurricaneFlorence is so enormous, we could only capture her with a super wide-angle lens from the @Space_Station, 400 km directly above the eye. Get prepared on the East Coast, this is a no-kidding nightmare coming for you. #Horizons pic.twitter.com/ovZozsncfh — Alexander Gerst (@Astro_Alex) September 12, 2018

"Watch out, America! #HurricaneFlorence is so enormous, we could only capture her with a super wide-angle lens from the @Space_Station, 400 km directly above the eye," German astronaut Alexander Gerst tweeted. "Get prepared on the East Coast, this is a no-kidding nightmare coming for you."