1 million have been ordered to flee Hurricane Florence, but the Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune says it's going to stay and 'fight'

• The commanding general at the US Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune is facing criticism for not issuing a mandatory evacuation order as Hurricane Florence barrels toward the east coast.
• Thousands of Marines have evacuated as nonessential personnel were released from duty, but some remain. 
• Brig. Gen. Julian D. Alford has defended the decision and pledged to take care of the remaining personnel. 

The commanding general at the US Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune is facing criticism for not issuing a mandatory evacuation order as Hurricane Florence barrels directly towards his North Carolina base, but he's issued a series of statements defending the move.

"Since 1941, this base and its Marines have been postured to deal with crises at home and abroad and Hurricane Florence is no exception,"Brig. Gen. Julian D. Alford said in a message posted to the base's Facebook page on Tuesday. "Marines take care of each other, and I will expend every available resource to make sure that happens."

Alford also said Lejeune is not in a flood prone area and seems confident the base can keep the remaining personnel there safe. "I give you my personal assurance we are going to take care of everyone on this base," he said. 

Thousands of Marines have reportedly left the base as nonessential personnel were released from duty, but it's not clear how many personnel remain there. Camp Lejeune's public affairs office did not immediately respond to a request from Business Insider for updated figures on who will remain on base. 

Due to the size and severity of the storm and the fact the base is at sea level near inland bodies of water, many on social media have mocked and criticized Alford's decision not to order a mandatory evacuation. 

Meanwhile, Marine recruits at Parris Island in South Carolina were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday, but those orders were later rescinded based on changes in the trajectory of the storm. Personnel who'd already evacuated Parris Island were ordered to return to their permanent duty station no later than 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday. 

"As of now, all Marines assigned to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island will resume normal base operations on Thursday. This includes commanders and troops alike," the base's commanding general, Brig. Gen. James F. Glynn, said in a statement on the termination of the evacuation order. 

Other branches of the military have taken precautionary measures in preparation for the storm. The US Navy, for example, earlier this week ordered dozens of ships based in Norfolk, Virginia, out to sea. 

Florence is a Category 4 hurricane and is expected to make landfall on Friday and could dump as much as 40 inches of rain on North Carolina. The storm is expected to bring catastrophic flooding across the Carolinas. 

More than one million people in the region are under mandatory-evacuation orders, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper on Wednesday urged residents to get out while they still can, stating, "Disaster is at the doorstep. If you're on the coast there is still time to get out safely."

SEE ALSO: 30 ships ordered to flee US Navy's biggest base in Virginia as Hurricane Florence closes in

DON'T MISS: 'Disaster is at the doorstep': Hurricane Florence is churning toward the Carolinas, bringing life-threatening storm surge and rainfall

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