Raleigh: Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina on Friday and it was not a pretty picture at all. Though it has been downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm, the tempest has pummelled the region with gusting winds and torrential rainfall. 

Here are some main highlights:

Death toll from the hurricane has risen to 5. 

A mother and her infant were killed when a tree fell on their house in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Another woman died in Pender county, while two elderly men died in Lenoir county.

Weather forecasters have warned of flash flooding in parts of North and South Carolina, and Virginia. The National Hurricane Center said “catastrophic fresh water flooding” is expected in both the Carolinas. 

Around 1.7 million people in the region have been asked to evacuate. 

North Carolina governor Roy Cooper, on September 13, said if the people, who have been asked to vacate, are not leaving, they will be putting their lives at risk.

"You (will) put your life at risk by staying. Don't plan to leave once the winds and rains start," he said.

In North Carolina, almost 800,000 people are reported to be without power and officials have said that it may take days and even weeks for situation to get any better.

More than 16 inches of rain have recorded in southeast North Carolina, while 20 to 25 inches is on the way, said officials. 

Almost 2,100 flights have been cancelled through Saturday.