People.com Human Interest See the Most Powerful Photos as Hurricane Florence Slams North Carolina Coast Rescue efforts are underway as Hurricane Florence brings destructive winds and blinding rain to North Carolina By Erin Hill Erin Hill Twitter Senior News Editor, PEOPLE People Editorial Guidelines Published on September 14, 2018 09:26 AM Share Tweet Pin Email 01 of 30 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Volunteers from the Civilian Crisis Response Team rescue a man with chest pains from his flooded home on September 14 in James City, North Carolina. Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina as a Category 1 storm and flooding from the heavy rain is forcing hundreds of people to call for emergency rescues in the area around New Bern, North Carolina, which sits at the confluence of the Nueces and Trent rivers. 02 of 30 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Volunteers from the Civilian Crisis Response Team help rescue three children from their flooded home. 03 of 30 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Volunteers from the Civilian Crisis Response Team help rescue three children from their flooded home. 04 of 30 Atlgan Ozdil/Anadolu Agency/Getty A resident tries to cross the street during the heavy rain of outer bands of Hurricane Florence in New Bern, North Carolina. 05 of 30 Atlgan Ozdil/Anadolu Agency/Getty People try cross the street during the heavy rain of outer bands of Hurricane Florence in New Bern, North Carolina. 06 of 30 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Residents wade through deep floodwater to retrieve belongings from the Trent Court public housing apartments after the Neuse River went over its banks during Hurricane Florence. 07 of 30 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Michael Nelson floats in a boat made from a metal tub and fishing floats after the Neuse River went over its banks and flooded his street during Hurricane Florence. 08 of 30 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Michael Nelson floats in a boat made from a metal tub and fishing floats after the Neuse River went over its banks and flooded his street during Hurricane Florence. 09 of 30 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Shianne Coleman (L) and Austin Gremmel walk in flooded streets as the Neuse River begins to flood its banks during Hurricane Florence. 10 of 30 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Portions of a boat dock and boardwalk are destroyed by powerful wind and waves as Hurricane Florence arrives. 11 of 30 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Residents walk in flooded streets as the Neuse River floods its banks during the storm. 12 of 30 Chip Somodevilla/Getty A sign warns people away from Union Point Park after is was flooded by the Neuse River. 13 of 30 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Men pack their belongings after evacuating their house after the Neuse River went over its banks and flooded their street. 14 of 30 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Diamond Dillahunt and 2-year-old Ta-Layah Koonce survey the flooding at the Trent Court public housing apartments after the Neuse River topped its banks. 15 of 30 Michael Candelori/REX/Shutterstock A sailboat is seen trapped under a bridge ahead of the landfall of Hurricane Florence, as early storm surges caused the Neuse River to rise above its' banks in New Bern, North Carolina. 16 of 30 Michael Candelori/REX/Shutterstock Flooding is seen nearly sixteen hours before the landfall of Hurricane Florence, as early storm surges caused the Neuse River to rise above its' banks. 17 of 30 Michael Candelori/REX/Shutterstock Spray-painted messages are seen on boarded up businesses ahead of the landfall of Hurricane Florence. 18 of 30 Tom Copeland/AP/REX/Shutterstock High winds and storm surge from Hurricane Florence hits Swansboro, North Carolina. 19 of 30 Atlgan Ozdil/Anadolu Agency/Getty A car goes through a flooded street during the heavy rain of outer bands of Hurricane Florence. 20 of 30 Atlgan Ozdil/Anadolu Agency/Getty A U.S. military vehicle goes through a flooded street during the heavy rain of outer bands of Hurricane Florence in New Bern. 21 of 30 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Rescue workers from Township No. 7 Fire Department and volunteers from the Civilian Crisis Response Team use a truck to move people rescued from their flooded homes. 22 of 30 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Rescue workers from Township No. 7 Fire Department and volunteers from the Civilian Crisis Response Team help rescue a woman and her dog from their flooded home. 23 of 30 JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Rescue workers attempt to remove a giant tree that toppled onto a house and killed two people and injured a third when Hurricane Florence came ashore in Wilmington, North Carolina. 24 of 30 JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Rescue workers pray after attempting to remove a giant tree that toppled onto a house and killed two people and injured a third. 25 of 30 JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Rescue workers rush a man to an ambulance after a giant tree toppled onto his house, killing two other people. 26 of 30 ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/Getty A man wades through rising flood waters on the Cape Fear River during Hurricane Florence in Wilmington. 27 of 30 LOGAN CYRUS/AFP/Getty The Neuse River floods the waterfront in New Bern, North Carolina. 28 of 30 Chip Somodevilla/Getty Members of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 4 from Oakland, California, search a flooded neighborhood for evacuees during Hurricane Florence. 29 of 30 Chuck Burton/AP/REX/Shutterstock Mike Kiernan takes photos of the damage to his home in Wilmington. 30 of 30 JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock One of hundreds of trees that collapsed as Hurricane Florence came ashore in Wilmington.