Foreign ministry issues warning as Hurricane Florence approaches US mainland

The Foreign affairs ministry has issued a warning to all Maltese citizens living on the southeast coast and mid-Atlantic coast of the United States, advising that they “seek precautions”, and if necessary evacuate the area as soon as possible.

More than one million people along the Carolina coast have been evacuated, three days before the expected arrival of Hurricane Florence – a category 4 storm, and one of the most powerful in recent history.

In a statement, the ministry said that Florence was expected to make landfall on the southeast coast by mid-week, adding that US authorities are concerned that it will be deadly storm.

South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and possibly Georgia could all be affected by the storm.

The ministry said it “strongly advises Maltese citizens in the abovementioned states, to strictly and efficiently adhere to instructions and advice provided by the US authorities.

Further information about the safety and necessary procedures, as well as contact details, can be found on the following sites:

• https://www.ncdps.gov/hurricane-florence-2018 for citizens located in North Carolina;
• http://www.vaemergency.gov/hurricanes/ for citizens located in Virginia;
• https://scemd.org for citizens located in South Carolina ;
• https://www.fema.gov/ US Department of Homeland Security for general information on disaster preparedness

Tropical Storm Helene updated to Category 1

In its statement, the ministry also noted that Tropical Storm Helene had also been upgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane, while Tropical Storm Isaac is predicted to be upgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane in the coming days.

“Although the path of the two storms is still not defined, it is posing a great threat to the east coast and Caribbean. In this regard, the Embassy strongly against travelling to the region at this point in time until the end of the hurricane season,” the ministry said.

The Maltese Embassy in Washington DC can be contacted on the following emergency phone:  +1 202 716 3617.

Maltese relatives can also contact the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion directly on (+356) 21 242 191.