In pictures: Hurricane Florence strikes the eastern US
ReutersHurricane Florence seen off the US east coast, over the Atlantic Ocean
Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina on Friday, drenching the East Coast area of the United States.
Five deaths have been linked to the storm and thousands of people spent the night in emergency shelters.
Originally categorised as a hurricane, Florence has since been downgraded to a tropical storm.
Evacuation warnings have been issued for 1.7 million people as it moves across North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
Here is a selection of striking images from when it hit.
ReutersMany residents in affected areas boarded up their homes and businesses before the storm hit
ReutersThe storm caused many roads, towns, and cities to be flooded
Getty ImagesSome North Carolina residents had to be evacuated by emergency teams
JoJo TurbevilleAircraft including helicopters, an aeroplane and a microlight were damaged by high winds at Marion County Airport in South Carolina
ReutersAround 150 people were trapped in their houses in the North Carolina city of New Bern
ReutersWater from the nearby Neuse River flooded the city
ReutersNew Bern's streets were flooded during the heavy rainfall
ReutersBoats were carried by the force of the winds from New Bern's docks on to the city's streets
BBC on the ground as Hurricane Florence arrives
Getty ImagesSome residents were reluctant to evacuate because not all shelters accept pets
ReutersTrees were downed across North Carolina amid high winds
AFPPeople watch as a neighbour is rescued after a tree fell on his home in Wilmington, North Carolina
AFPThe storm continued its way across the Carolinas, sending waves crashing against this pier in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
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