Hurricane Florence has dropped to a Category 2 status, but it remains "very dangerous storm" that will hit almost all of North Carolina, and everybody "needs to pay attention and seek cover," Sen. Thom Tillis said Thursday.
"The people of North Carolina need to understand that Matthew was a Category 1 hurricane when it made landfall in the Carolinas, and it caused hundreds of millions in damage and loss of life," the North Carolina Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "Hurricane Floyd similar, a Category 2 storm."
With Florence, the surge threats and rain estimates have not changed, Tillis said, and everyone needs to listen to local law enforcement and first responders.
"If you have any questions about where you can evacuate, dial 211," he said.
FEMA already has been in place, said Tillis, as his state is still recovering from Hurricane Matthew, caused catastrophic flooding in North Carolina when it hit in October 2016.
"We've had a briefing from the governor's office from our emergency management experts down in Raleigh and we're as prepared as we can be," said Tillis. "The thing to help us be more prepared is to have any citizen asked to evacuate to do so for their own safety and for the safety of first responders."
Meanwhile, he called it "sad" to sit back and watch as the hurricane approaches.
"I was down at the Outer Banks over the weekend with my family," he said. "The area I was in is in deep danger right now."
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