Hurricane Florence batters US east coast

Emergency rescue teams are trying to reach people trapped in cars, in attics and on roofs along the North Carolina coast, as the eye of Hurricane Florence swept ashore, with winds of up to 90 miles an hour.

Although the storm isn’t as ferocious as feared, forecasters warned that torrential rain could be lethal and storm surges could reach as high as eleven feet, triggering widespread flooding inland. Thousands of people are being housed in emergency shelters.