Photos and videos show the flooding and devastation as Hurricane Florence hits North Carolina

SCV/Christopher Collura via ABC News/Twitter; Chip Somodevilla/Getty

A composite image shows a gas station canopy being dismantled by high winds in Topsail Beach, North Carolina, and residents wading through flooded streets in New Bern, North Carolina.

Hurricane Florence has arrived in the US, lashing the East Coast with torrential rain, high winds, and massive floods.

Almost 300,000 people in North Carolina and South Carolina have lost power, with power companies expecting millions more to do so.

One hundred and fifty people in New Bern, North Carolina, are also trapped and awaiting government assistance.

Scroll down to see what the hurricane's impact looks like on the ground.