WILMINGTON, Fla. — As Hurricane Florence gets closer to making landfall on the Carolina coast, residents are already seeing strong wind gusts and heavy rain.

The storm is a slow-mover. The winds are getting stronger, but flooding will be the major issue over the next few days.

Surf is expected to come in around six feet, and there could be as much as two feet of water washed in by Florence.

The region is essentially a ghost town. Most people are heeding officials' warnings to stay where they are.

Police and emergency crews are stationed across the area for safety.

Some Carolina locals came down to see what the storm was bringing before conditions deteriorated too much.

One works at a nearby hotel full of guests.

"At the hotel, we are well prepared for a power outage. We informed all of our guests we are there for them -- that's one of the reasons we stayed," said Devin Lawson. "Plenty of water, food -- we figured it would happen so we stayed prepared."

Conditions are expected to worsen overnight and into Friday, especially with predicted 90 mph gusts.