(Wilmington, N.C.) — Monster storm Hurricane Florence is barreling closer to the coast of the Carolinas. Forecasters say wind speeds have dropped from a high of 140 mph to 110 mph, reducing it to a Category 2 storm. Early Thursday Florence was about 235 miles east southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina and about 280 miles east southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  The storm is moving northwest at 17 mph.

Hurricane Florence is being called a once-in-a-lifetime storm for threatening to cause historic flooding, blow catastrophic winds and idle for days over the Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic. Adding to the storm stress is uncertainty about where exactly Florence will make landfall, after a shift in its track put more of the Southeast in danger.

While the storm’s shift to the south should lessen its impact here in Virginia, Governor Ralph Northam has not lifted the mandatory evacuation for parts of Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore. 59 shelters have been readied for the storm. The governor says the shift in the storm’s path may raise rainfall totals in western Virginia, increasing the threat of flooding in that part of the state.

Dr. Jeff Stern with the Office of Emergency Management says the winds might pose a hazard for those returning to Hampton Roads before the storm has passed. Many ignored the evacuation order and have hunkered down to ride out the storm.