Hurricane Florence rips American flag to pieces at Frying Pan Tower

Life-threatening storm surge pushes water miles inland

Footage captured by a live camera overlooking the Atlantic Ocean shows an American flag being ripped apart by Hurricane Florence’s intense winds.

The flag is situated at Frying Pan Tower, a coast guard station 34 miles off North Carolina, which is in the path of the storm as it approaches land.

Florence has made landfall in the state, with a life-threatening storm surge pushing water inland for miles, bringing heavy rains and extreme winds that crushed buildings.

Evacuation measures have been put in place affecting over 1.7 million people in the Carolinas and Virginia. Roughly 10 million homes are also on alert for hurricane conditions.

At the height of the storm on Friday morning, more than 60 people were rescued from a collapsing motel. Many more who disregarded evacuation warnings are hoping to be saved from danger.

Thousands have been left without power as ocean water flooded coastal streets.

Forecasters said conditions will continue to worsen as the storm pushes onto land near the North Carolina-South Carolina line.

“Surviving this storm will be a test of endurance, teamwork, common sense and patience,” said the governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper.

Mr Cooper also asked for additional disaster assistance from the federal government ahead of what his office described as “historic major damage” across the state.