US capital under state of emergency for Hurricane Florence

The US capital declared a state of emergency Tuesday as Hurricane Florence bears down on the US East Coast, threatening torrential rain and flooding in the Washington region.

Mayor Muriel Bowser told a news conference the emergency was "effective immediately" and that the measure "ensures that we will have the resources we need to prepare for Florence."
The 15-day emergency signed by Bowser noted that Florence was "forecasted to produce high winds, rainfall and storm surge" with "serious widespread effects in the region."