Benjamin Carroll

Happening Today: Hurricane Florence, Olivia Munn, Marin Mazzie

What to Know

  • The National Hurricane Center said the eyewall of Florence was onshore in North Carolina and landfall was expected
  • Actress Olivia Munn blew the whistle on a fellow actor after she learned he was a registered sex offender
  • A three-time Tony Award nominee known for powerhouse performances on Broadway in 'Ragtime,' ''Passion' and 'Kiss Me, Kate,' has died

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Eyewall of Hurricane Florence Onshore in North Carolina

The National Hurricane Center said the eyewall of Florence was onshore in North Carolina and landfall was expected, bringing with it life-threatening storm surge and hurricane strength winds. The storm already has inundated coastal streets with ocean water and left tens of thousands without power, and forecasters say that "catastrophic" freshwater flooding is expected over portions of the Carolinas as Hurricane Florence inches closer to the U.S. East Coast. The National Hurricane Center said early Friday that a gauge in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, recently reported 6.3 feet of inundation. Emerald Isle is about 84 miles north of Wilmington. And about 46 miles north of Emerald Isle in New Bern about 150 people were waiting to be rescued from rising flood waters, WXII-TV reported. The city said two out-of-state FEMA teams were working on swift-water rescues and more teams were on the way. In the North Carolina city of Jacksonville, about 70 people were rescued from a hotel whose structural integrity is being threatened by Hurricane Florence.

2 Years After Disastrous Flood, Florence Scares Small Town

One woman left town. Another prays her house might somehow be spared again. And one man will just wait and watch and hope the water doesn't rise. Few places in South Carolina are more worried about the possibility of disastrous inland flooding from Hurricane Florence's heavy rain than Nichols. When Hurricane Matthew dumped a foot of rain on the area two years ago, the town 40 miles in from the coast lost almost 90 percent of its 261 homes. Forecasters said Florence could bring more than 20 inches of rain to Nichols and the surrounding area as the storm slowly crosses the state over the next few days, touching off catastrophic flash flooding. Nichols' problem during Matthew in 2016 wasn't the rain falling on the town so much as the backup of water from the swollen Little Pee Dee and Lumber Rivers, which meet just downstream. One man drowned after he refused to leave his home.

Olivia Munn Thanks Support From Outside 'Predator' Family

Despite knowing she could be facing a big backlash, actress Olivia Munn nonetheless blew the whistle on a fellow actor after she learned he was a registered sex offender. Her actions — and the reactions of her co-stars and director, Shane Black — as well as the feelings of critics and fans on social media — have virtually overshadowed the latest offering in the "Predator" franchise. Much was riding on the film, "The Predator," from one of Hollywood biggest studios, as well as producers who had shelled out an event-movie sized budget. Even the film's world premiere was a bigger-than-usual deal, set for the lofty Toronto International Film Festival. None of that stopped Munn. "Honestly, there was never a question in my mind whether I should be speaking out and speaking up," she explained at a special screening of the film in Hollywood.

Broadway and West End Star Marin Mazzie Dies After Cancer Battle

A three-time Tony Award nominee known for powerhouse performances on Broadway in "Ragtime," ''Passion" and "Kiss Me, Kate," has died. Marin Mazzie was 57. Mazzie, who battled ovarian cancer starting in 2015, died at her Manhattan home surrounded by close friends and family, said her husband, actor Jason Danieley. Mazzie's broad career went from screwball comedy — in "Kiss Me, Kate" and "Spamalot" — to riveting, dysfunctional moms in "Next to Normal" and "Carrie." She earned other Broadway roles in "Man of La Mancha," ''Bullets Over Broadway," ''Enron" and "Into the Woods."

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