US authorities have warned of “catastrophic” freshwater flooding as Hurricane Florence hits America’s east coast.

Forecasters say the combination of a life-threatening storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland.

Tropical Weather North Carolina
Part of the roof of Tidewater Brewing lies on the ground in Wilmington (Chuck Burton/AP)
Tropical Weather North Carolina
Wind and water from Hurricane Florence damaged the highway leading off Harkers Island (Jordan Guthrie/AP)
Tropical Weather North Carolina
A bear statue floats in floodwaters on South Front street in New Bern (City of New Bern/AP)
Tropical Weather North Carolina
A boat was wedged in trees when Hurricane Florence hit the town of Oriental (Angie Propst/AP)
Tropical Weather South Carolina
Russ Lewis covers his eyes from a gust of wind and a blast of sand as Hurricane Florence approaches Myrtle Beach (David Goldman/AP)
Tropical Weather North Carolina
Flood waters have inundated buildings in New Bern (New Bern Police/AP)
Someone wades through floodwater
Jamie Thompson walks through flooded sections of East Front Street near Union Point Park in New Bern, North Carolina (AP)
Hurricane Florence menaces the coast
Waves slam the Oceana Pier and Pier House Restaurant in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina (AP)
A message outside a shop
A message tells shoppers about supplies no longer available in South Carolina as Hurricane Florence approaches (AP)
A South Carolina beach during curfew
A police vehicle patrols the beach during an evening curfew which went into effect on Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (AP)
Union Point Park in North Carolina
Union Point Park is flooded with rising water from the Neuse and Trent Rivers in New Bern, North Carolina (AP)
Flooding in North Carolina
Residents at Trent Court Apartments wait out the weather as rising water gets closer to their doors in New Bern (AP)