Washington's mayor Muriel Bowser declared that the emergency was "effective immediately".

Axar.az informs citing Sputnik.

Washington's mayor Muriel Bowser announced the state of emergency as Hurricane Florence if moving in the direction of the US East Coast, threatening torrential rain and flooding in the capital region.

The declaration said that the health, safety and welfare of Washington, DC's residents require "emergency protective actions" because the storm is expected to have "serious widespread effects" throughout the region.

The governors of US states of North and South Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland have also declared states of emergency ahead of the storm.

Hurricane Florence is expected to make landfall somewhere along the southeastern United States, likely near the border between the Carolinas, early Friday.

The storm weakened slightly, but is expected to regain strength by the end of the day, and will be a Category 4 or 5 when it reaches the US coast.