Family with Minnesota ties hunkers down with Florence approaching

Like many in the Twin Cities area, Fox 9’s Paul Blume has family living in the path of Hurricane Florence.

Blume’s father, Peter Blume, lives near Raleigh, North Carolina and is unsure of what the storm will bring.

“The track keeps changing. It’s so wide. It’s going to impact us,” Peter Blume said in an interview with his son.

Blume spoke to his dad via Facetime Thursday from his home in suburban Raleigh.

The monster storm is edging closer and closer to North Carolina throughout the day.

“We’re gonna be taping windows. We pulled in outdoor furniture. We’re going to cover our computers and other furniture with garbage bags. Big garbage bags. Just as a precaution and ride it out,” Peter Blume said.

In Wilmington, North Carolina, along the coast, stores were boarded up. Many people heeded the warnings and evacuated the region before Florence makes landfall.

Blume’s parents live about two hours inland up I-40 near the state capitol.

Their biggest concern is not the storm surge, but rather a devastating, prolonged rain and wind event. That leads to extended power outages and localized flooding.

But Blume’s 79-year-old dad insists they’re ready and he’s got his sense of humor intact as well as plenty of emergency supplies.

“We’ve got water, batteries, garbage bags, masking tape and of course some wine,” Peter Blume laughed.