Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long warned Thursday that Hurricane Florence could still cause up to 40 inches of rain and prolonged power outages along the East Coast, despite being downgraded to a Category 2 storm late Wednesday night.

“The storm surge forecast associated with this storm has not changed. This is a very serious storm. The power could go out for many weeks,” Long said during the agency’s latest briefing on the incoming hurricane.

Recommended Stories

Hurricane Florence ‘nightmare’ scenario shows it stalling, swinging southwest to Georgia

Florence continues to disrupt the Carolinas, will slow down as it travels inland

Damage risk from brutish Hurricane Michael surges to $19 billion