Heavy winds began lashing the east coast Thursday morning as meteorologists say the leading edge of Florence has arrived in North Carolina, with tropical storm-force winds carrying drenching bands of rainfall onto some beach communities.

Florence will likely bring days of rain totaling three feet or more, and a surge of ocean water that rises to more than 12 feet near the center of the storm. Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) says he knows many people are watching the changing predictions and categories, and he’s concerned because some are even saying that “North Carolina is getting a break.”

“Please hear my message,” he added. “Don’t relax; don’t get complacent. Stay on guard. This is a powerful storm that can kill.”

Gov. Cooper: "Please hear my message: We cannot underestimate this storm. Wind speeds may have dropped from yesterday, but we've traded that for a larger wind field that expands 200 miles with tropical storm force winds." https://t.co/Hs5yjxAK4U pic.twitter.com/x6GONw8FJj — CBS News (@CBSNews) September 13, 2018

Federal emergency officials at a Washington briefing are urging people to treat Hurricane Florence seriously even though its top sustained winds are down to 110 mph (177 kph), which makes it a Category 2 storm. They say it remains very large and very dangerous, bringing more than 30 inches of rain to the coast and heavy winds that will impact a giant swath of land.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long says storm surge warnings have not changed despite the weakening intensity on the wind scale. He urged people in the coastal Carolinas and living near inland rivers to evacuate now. “Please heed the warnings,” Brock says: “Your time is running out.”

"This is a very dangerous storm. Storm surge is why many of you have been placed under evacuation and we are asking citizens to please heed the warning. Your time is running out," FEMA Administrator Brock Long says https://t.co/Hs5yjxAK4U pic.twitter.com/L1olcADVpU — CBS News (@CBSNews) September 13, 2018

The police chief of a barrier island in the bull’s-eye of Hurricane Florence is warning any stragglers who refused to evacuate that they are making a dangerous choice. At a news conference just across the bridge in Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach Police Chief Dan House said a handful of residents on the island have refused evacuation orders. He’s telling them they “better go ahead and give me your next of kin” information, because no one will rescue them at the height of the storm. The police chief says he’s not going to put his people in harm’s way, especially for people they’ve already told to evacuate.

The latest forecast shows the eye of Florence could pass directly over the barrier island, pushing a huge surge of ocean water. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warn that Florence remains deadly because of its size and slow forward speed, even if its top sustained winds have dropped it to Category 2 status as a hurricane.

Director Ken Graham says there is nothing “minor” about this hurricane. Water causes the most deaths during tropical storms and hurricanes, and Florence expected to cause dangerous flooding. Graham said areas that repeatedly get hit even with weaker winds at Florence’s edges could see heavy rainfall for hours. Storm surge flooding also could push 2 miles or more inland if Florence lingers for days along the coast. Tornadoes also remain a threat, particularly in areas northeast of the hurricane’s eye.

Senior hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart warns that Florence being a slow hurricane could mean three to four hours of battering, beach-eroding winds for some areas.The outer bands of wind and rain from Hurricane Florence are moving onshore along North Carolina’s barrier islands as the massive storm bears down on the Southeastern coastline.

As of 8 a.m., the Category 2 storm was centered about 170 miles (275 kilometers) east-southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, and about 220 miles (355 kilometers) east-southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Its forward movement slowed to 12 mph (19 kph) and top sustained winds stayed at 110 mph (175 kph).

Waves wash under the Avon Pier Thursday morning. pic.twitter.com/0PZJ8xkBXT — Jeff Hampton (@jeffhampton56) September 13, 2018

Pretty dramatic wave watching right now on our Oceanana Pier cam in Atlantic Beach, NC courtesy approaching #HurricaneFlorence. Watch live – https://t.co/AgF6zcu6nt. Stay safe, everyone. pic.twitter.com/JM47L6xaJZ — Mark Willis (@MWillisSurfline) September 13, 2018

RIGHT NOW: We're getting our first look at images off #HatterasIsland as #HurricaneFlorence moves in. Storm surge is a huge worry there and you can see why! [Pictures are from #13NewsNow viewer.] #13StormMode pic.twitter.com/pOG9C8WJZA — Steven Graves 13News Now (@13StevenGraves) September 13, 2018

And just like that, #Florence is letting us know she’s getting even closer. @NBCNews pic.twitter.com/9SvlkA0bAq — Matt Wargo (@MattWargo) September 13, 2018

Winds and rain are picking up here in Nags Head. Those dark clouds are bands from #hurricane #Florence seas are over 7 feet now. Storm surge forecasted over 5 feet #wbal pic.twitter.com/ttJ38HjiF7 — Lowell Melser (@MelserWBAL) September 13, 2018

Winds and surf picking up off the Chesapeake Bay in #Hampton. It’s amazing the impact we’re seeing so far from the center of the storm. #HurricaneFlorence2018 https://t.co/Lt2MVonyOS @WTKR3 #FirstWarn3 pic.twitter.com/XRaFVI7Y03 — Anthony Sabella (@AnthonyWTKR) September 13, 2018

Whoaὄ #13NewsNow viewer says #HurricaneFlorence creating storm surge waters that are knee deep in spots. This video taken on Seabreeze Dr near Rodanthe, NC. Please SAFELY send your pics and vids with #13StormMode. pic.twitter.com/iXOcOaL4BE — Steven Graves 13News Now (@13StevenGraves) September 13, 2018

Water flows from a street in Hatteras Village and down NC 12 early Thursday. pic.twitter.com/WLjn8DDPcX — Jeff Hampton (@jeffhampton56) September 13, 2018

Ocean water flows like river down Cape Hatteras Pier Drive and washes over NC 12 already depositing a layer of sand. pic.twitter.com/7HywTv24xz — Jeff Hampton (@jeffhampton56) September 13, 2018

#FLORENCE: I can barely hold my phone but here are the conditions in #WrightsvilleBeach in #NorthCarolina. Huge swell, very strong winds and complete ghost town. #HurricaneFlorence2018 #HurricaneFlorence pic.twitter.com/iCgUS0NifI — Marta Dhanis (@MartaDhanis) September 13, 2018

A wave just crashed into the back patio at the Oceanana Restaurant in Atlantic Beach. If you know this place, you know that restaurant is pretty far from the (normal) tide line. #HurricaneFlorence pic.twitter.com/eOWCmvpDtv — Andrew Carter (@_andrewcarter) September 13, 2018

"Pray for Wilmington" messages and information about shelters have been spray painted on boarded buildings in #Wilmington, N.C. ahead of #HurricaneFlorence. (Photos courtesy of @CStewartTheNow) pic.twitter.com/iz7EcAEv8U — The Now News (@TheNOWtv) September 13, 2018

Deputies @WCSO_Sheriff have arrived safely at the South Carolina Fire Academy in Columbia, SC. Waiting for further instructions. #HurricaneFlorence pic.twitter.com/Q7jC3wKyIX — WCSO Franklin TN (@WCSO_Sheriff) September 13, 2018

Mother Nature is a curious thing. The sound and light breeze from the sea are so calming, yet the waves are so dangerous. #Narragansett #HurricaneFlorence @wpri12 pic.twitter.com/X0cYa7qOyR — Kait Walsh (@KaitLouiseWalsh) September 13, 2018

KANSANS IN CAROLINAS: These photos are from NW Kansas native Gabrielle Otter. She lives in Charleston, S.C., where they're offering free sandbags and sand to residents to prepare for flooding from #HurricaneFlorence. pic.twitter.com/A5rFOuNQ9q — Amanda Aguilar KSN (@AAguilarKSN) September 13, 2018

HAPPENING NOW: Hundreds of contractors and crews from 11 different states have gathered in Fishersville in preparations for #HurricaneFlorence. @DomEnergyVA tells us this is one of 2 staging areas and they could be sent to areas they provide service in Eastern VA & NC. @NBC29 pic.twitter.com/oSLwlmcVbY — Lowell Rose NBC29 (@LowellRoseNews) September 13, 2018

I asked this man if he thought about leaving, he said “We’re Wilmingtonians , we don’t run!” #HurricaneFlorence @TheNOWtv pic.twitter.com/3KhpQKNG7U — Chris Stewart (@CStewartTheNow) September 13, 2018

Although they are expecting a minor impact on Maryland’s Atlantic coast from #HurricaneFlorence, you can see significantly rougher water than yesterday—and it’s windy in Ocean City @wjz pic.twitter.com/MR3Xe2N50U — Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) September 13, 2018

This is the scene at the Florence Center where nearly 2,000 linemen from Florida are being staged as they prepare for clean up efforts following the storm #HurricaneFlorence pic.twitter.com/bMYmqjwX4I — Kacy Hintz (@KacyHintz) September 13, 2018

Places that flooded in Matthew 2 years ago are trying to keep out flood water this time #florence#HurricaneFlorence pic.twitter.com/I0pu1SY3LV — Paul Woolverton (@FO_Woolverton) September 13, 2018

Take a look at NC12. It's the main road through #HatterasIsland. This is what folks were worried about if they evacuated. Flooding has started in Rodanthe at about 10AM and people fear it'll get worse. #HurricaneFlorence #13StormMode [Courtesy: 13NewNow viewer] pic.twitter.com/lBUkAVN89I — Steven Graves 13News Now (@13StevenGraves) September 13, 2018

The restaurants and bars on Sullivan’s Island – boarded and waiting for #HurricaneFlorence plenty of parking for a change. pic.twitter.com/SToDm0h8UN — David Slade (@DSladeNews) September 13, 2018

The breeze in the leaves is #Florence tapping us on the shoulder, announcing its arrival #florence#HurricaneFlorence pic.twitter.com/GOoFh2lG4W — Paul Woolverton (@FO_Woolverton) September 13, 2018

@DanAmarante using his anemometer to capture #HurricaneFlorence wind speed. So far in #SurfCity were seeing gusts up to 25mph @FOX61News pic.twitter.com/1C4z421je1 — Michael Howard (@MHoward_TV) September 13, 2018

First responders and emergency personnel with rescue gear from the North, South, East and West converge on a staging area in Garner, then head to areas in NC where #HurricaneFlorence is expected to pose a threat. #abc11 pic.twitter.com/blLXxHX9XR — Anthony Wilson (@AnthonyABC11) September 13, 2018

Storm surge already over taking the homes here on the barrier island. #hurricaneflorence #ncwx pic.twitter.com/XWlFmopp8W — Jeff Gammons (@StormVisuals) September 13, 2018

#FLORENCE: #WrightsvilleBeach had mandatory evacuation and only media seem to have stayed. Police is not letting anyone venture out of their houses and is patrolling the area. They also have rescue jet skis ready in trailor. Watch video #NorthCarolina #HurricaneFlorence pic.twitter.com/tBPWySbka3 — Marta Dhanis (@MartaDhanis) September 13, 2018

Most of Avondale is boarded up for #hurricaneflorence but @geraldstires still has a crew working on cars🔧 #chsnews @WCBD pic.twitter.com/aD4ZhSnbu6 — Emily A Wilhoit (@emily_a_wilhoit) September 13, 2018

The waves are becoming more intense in #NorthCarolina and the wind is starting to pick up. So far, the rain isn't much more than a drizzle — but with #HurricaneFlorence approaching — that could soon change. #OBX (🎥: @KevinFreyTV) pic.twitter.com/0G10BQ85kS — Spectrum News S-Tier (@SPECNewsSTier) September 13, 2018

Wilmington, NC is just beginning to feel the winds from the outer band of #HurricaneFlorence. It’s only going to get stronger from here. pic.twitter.com/Fxp9hliCPe — Armando Tonatiuh Torres-García (@GarciaReports) September 13, 2018

It is an angrier ocean here at Myrtle Beach. What’s kind of spooky? There are moments where the air is perfectly still and then gusts come along. REMINDER: city order to be OUT of the water, misdemeanor to remove sand from the beach for sand bags @WLTX #SCWX #HurricaneFlorence pic.twitter.com/KInOKOsTIH — Jacob Reynolds (@JRFromTheSouth) September 13, 2018

SOUND ON: Tropical storm-force winds lash the North Carolina coast as Hurricane Florence approaches. For the latest information on Hurricane Florence: https://t.co/ADycvIsbKL pic.twitter.com/ToX7mkTfdK — ABC News (@ABC) September 13, 2018

WALL CLOUD with convection passing by North Carolina barrier island with supercell water spout potential @breakingweather @accuweather pic.twitter.com/i7QNgTxfdy — Reed Timmer (@ReedTimmerAccu) September 13, 2018

Kite surfers enjoying the kicked up surf in Virginia Beach with #HurricaneFlorence on approach. pic.twitter.com/WhBXwJOdQJ — WPEC CBS12 News (@CBS12) September 13, 2018

LIVE: Rodanthe is on Hatteras Island, one of North Carolina's Outer Barrier islands #HurricaneFlorence https://t.co/eTe7tqIJwK — Pattern (@Pattern) September 13, 2018

Wind is picking up here in Wilmington, NC, but not yet at the point where folks are worried. Am seeing a few families strolling around with young kids. #florence #hurricaneflorence #WilmingtonNC pic.twitter.com/grWwkkHgBm — Ernest Scheyder (@ErnestScheyder) September 13, 2018

Our Entergy Louisiana crews have arrived safely at their first stop! They are ready to respond to help restore power quickly and safely after #HurricaneFlorence moves through. pic.twitter.com/8peWZzbQHA — Entergy Louisiana (@EntergyLA) September 13, 2018

Dunes have been breached on Hatteras Island as Hurricane Florence batters the coast. More: https://t.co/yhuTw4CNRN pic.twitter.com/u5cxup7w1B — The Virginian-Pilot (@virginianpilot) September 13, 2018

The Apex Fire Department Swift Water Rescue team is gearing up for Hurricane #Florence. They are under a state activation as of 8pm Wednesday night which could last up to 10 days. #ABC11 #HurricaneFlorence pic.twitter.com/Wmc9YORQHr — Bridget Condon (@BridgetABC11) September 13, 2018

SO IT BEGINS! #HurricaneFlorence has started claiming the land in Topsail Beach, North Carolina. WHAT TO KNOW: https://t.co/l2H18EVkKQ #fox5dc pic.twitter.com/8nOs5HyCI4 — FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) September 13, 2018

Classes @EastCarolina cancelled from 09/11 noon till 09/17. Campus closed. Super busy College Hill drive & Brewster area all but deserted. Flood lot closed off. Calm before #HurricaneFlorence #HurricaneFlorence2018 pic.twitter.com/0OQjeIhiUl — Anuradha Mukherji (@AnuMukherji) September 13, 2018

On the move! High water equipment is being transported to the area to help with flooding restoration when the time comes. Big thanks to @TooToughToTame for being the holding site for a lot of trucks & equipment! #HurricaneFlorence @wpdeabc15 pic.twitter.com/zvriMmrL63 — Kacy Hintz (@KacyHintz) September 13, 2018

No sitting around for me waiting for #HurricaneFlorence to arrive. I explored downtown #WilmingtonNC during my morning jog. #ABC11 pic.twitter.com/lgnb8O2mZn — Diane Wilson (@DWilsonABC11) September 13, 2018

Here's a live view of #HurricaneFlorence off the coast of North Carolina @exploreorg @dailyablastlive https://t.co/HSmS7IUzKu — Patrick deHahn (@patrickdehahn) September 13, 2018

Businesses downtown are using today to close down and board up their buildings. What hashtags or sayings have you all seen on some boards? #chsnews #chswx @WCBD #HurricaneFlorence pic.twitter.com/BwfYg2QIR6 — Deanne Roberts (@DeanneWCBD) September 13, 2018

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami don’t expect it to strengthen from a Category 2 hurricane before it moves ashore, but they say the real problem will be water as Florence lingers along the coast through Saturday. Florence’s hurricane-force winds were blowing 80 miles (130 kilometers) from its center, and tropical-storm-force winds reached up to 195 miles (315 kilometers) from the eye. Millions of people in the path of Hurricane Florence are frantically preparing for a monster storm that’s anticipated to make landfall as early as Friday afternoon. Residents in states from Virginia to Georgia — especially those who live in flood-prone areas or on the coast — must decide whether to stay or go.

Below is a snapshot of a region awaiting the deadly storm:

One South Carolina family living two blocks from the ocean thought long and hard about leaving before Hurricane Florence hit, but they just couldn’t afford it.

Mercedes O’Neill said she is scared to be in her North Myrtle Beach home with her boyfriend, her 6-year-old daughter and a son due Sept. 27 when the winds and rain pick up. But she says they couldn’t afford to stay in a hotel or to drive to a shelter. And she didn’t want to leave her cats behind. A family member rented a room, but when the storm slowed down, they couldn’t afford any extra days. O’Neill’s boyfriend Kelly Johnson says the couple needs to get back to work as soon as they can and returning after an evacuation can take several days.

Hours before a mandatory evacuation took effect, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, resident Phoebe Tesh paused while loading her car to have a glass of wine on the steps of the house where she and her husband rent an apartment. “We just love it down here so much we want to spend as time as we can,” she said.

Tesh, who works in information technology for UNC-Wilmington, said she and her husband have been ferrying valuables to her parents’ house on the mainland in Wilmington, where they planned to ride out the storm. “We started out with anything that cost over $200. Now we’re down to anything over $30,” she said, waving toward an SUV crammed with plastic bins and various items, including a block of chef’s knives. “Next time, we need a box truck.”

She and her husband, a professor at UNC-W, love the beach so much they sold a house on the mainland to rent there full time five years ago. She said they typically evacuate for major storms, and even neighbors who tend to ride out hurricanes are leaving. “We don’t know of anyone who’s staying for the storm,” she said.

Looking over a fleet of utility trucks staged near Charlotte Motor Speedway, retired utility worker Paul Anderson confessed Wednesday that he gets a rush from helping out with recovery efforts. The pay is good, but that’s not why he does it. “It’s adrenaline,” said Anderson, 59, of Lake City, Florida. “As soon as I get the call to go to work, I’m a changed man. My wife will tell you that. It makes you feel good to go help people. Plus, you get paid.”

Anderson didn’t hesitate this time, gathering people from Florida and Alabama and preparing to roll toward Wilmington, North Carolina. At least two dozen trucks were parked near the speedway as workers loaded equipment into a trailer. “When (my boss) asked me if I’d go down to the coast, I said yeah. And he said ‘You know what you’re getting into, don’t you?’ and I said, ‘That’s where I want to be. I want to be right in the middle of it.’”

Finally, Anderson admitted to one fear. “I’m scared of the water,” he said. “I’m not scared of the wind. (Hurricane) Irma had a lot of wind. You don’t want to be out in it but you can protect yourself from that. This water thing, we’ve never had to face that. ”Seth Bazemore lives in one of the most flood-prone neighborhoods in Norfolk, Virginia: A sliver of land known as Willoughby Spit that juts into Chesapeake Bay like a hitch-hiker’s thumb.

Previous hurricanes have made him a survivor.

On Wednesday, his brick house was lined with sandbags. Six bilge pumps sat inside on the ground floor, ready to push out the heavy rains and possible flood surge that the outer bands of Hurricane Florence are forecast to deliver.

“It looks like a ship moored to a pier,” said the 62-year-old engineering manager at Newport News Shipbuilding, a nearby shipyard the builds aircraft carriers and submarines for the U.S. Navy. “I’ve learned from past experience,” he said. “But believe you me, if I think it’ll be worse and more than my setup can handle, we’re out of here.” Bazemore was feeling some relief Wednesday. The forecast showed that Florence may strike the East Coast even further south in the Carolinas and bring less rain and wind to Virginia.

Colin Richards was among the military personnel leaving coastal Virginia and North Carolina ahead of Hurricane Florence. Many of the region’s ships had already headed out to sea. The 28-year-old mostly was concerned for his daughter, who is one month and two days old. “It’s very simple,” he said Wednesday morning. “We don’t want to live without power with a newborn.”

Richards is a U.S. Navy diver based at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Virginia Beach. He and his wife, Louilyn, live in the Norfolk neighborhood of Oceanview, which sits on the southern edge of the Chesapeake Bay.

Florence is projected to strike the Carolinas. But heavy rains, winds and flooding are expected in Virginia.

“It’s just not worth the risk,” Richards said. “We’ve lost power frequently in the past.” The family planned to head to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Richards is from. He said many of his neighbors in Norfolk planned to wait out the storm with generators.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.