Streams of cars clogged roads leading away from the coast of North and South Carolina on Tuesday as residents began fleeing ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Florence, a powerful Category 4 storm barreling towards the eastern US states.
While many coastal residents heeded mandatory evacuation orders, others were boarding up homes and businesses and choosing to brave the storm.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper warned that this would be a grave mistake and said people in evacuation zones "need to get out now."