As Hurricane Florence collided with eastern North Carolina on Friday afternoon, the storm has been downgraded from a category one hurricane to a tropical storm. Storm surge warnings remain in effect for Beaufort County, with locations potentially affected including Belhaven, Aurora and Washington. A tornado watch is also in effect for Beaufort County until 11 p.m. on Friday.

According to the National Weather Service, heavy rains from earlier bands will likely be exacerbated by continued rainfall throughout the evening. Additional rainfall of two to four inches is expected through the evening.