Hurricane Dorian Thrashes Northwestern Bahamas With ‘Catastrophic’ Winds, Storm Surge
Category 5 storm is predicted to take a northward turn toward Florida’s east coast; several counties under evacuation orders
Category 5 storm is predicted to take a northward turn toward Florida’s east coast; several counties under evacuation orders
A view of ocean waves on Saturday from a beach on Nassau, the Bahamas,
as Hurricane Dorian, a slow-moving Category 5 storm, approached. It is
expected to linger over the Bahamas through much of Monday.
Lucy Worboys/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
By
Erin Ailworth and
Arian Campo-Flores
Dorian, a Category 5 storm that has become the strongest
hurricane on modern record to hit the northwestern Bahamas, thrashed the
Abaco Islands on Sunday with “catastrophic winds and storm surge,”
according to the National Hurricane Center. In an earlier update,
federal forecasters had warned that the storm had become extremely
intense, and cautioned people to remain alert even though current
predictions don’t have the storm making landfall on the U.S. mainland. “A
small deviation to the left of the track could bring the intense core
of the hurricane and its dangerous winds closer to or onto the coast,”
they said.
Forecasters said the core of the storm was slowing as it
continued to sweep through the Bahamas, with Dorian expected to move
near to or over Grand Bahama Island late Sunday and into Monday. It is
then predicted to take a northward turn toward Florida’s east coast,
where some coastal residents have been put under evacuation orders. “Dorian is expected to remain a catastrophic hurricane during the next few days,” forecasters said in a 2 p.m. update.
Hurricane Dorian Hits Bahamas With ‘Catastrophic’ Winds.
The Category 5 storm has become the strongest hurricane on modern record to hit the area. Photo: Reuters
Hubert Minnis,
prime minister of the Bahamas, called Dorian a historic storm
that could bring storm surges washing over some island rooftops. He
worried about island residents who hadn’t heeded calls to move to
safety. “This will put us to a test that we’ve never confronted
before,” Mr. Minnis said in a Sunday afternoon press conference. “This
is a deadly storm and a monster of a storm.” Darren Henfield, the
Bahamas foreign minister, said in a video posted on Twitter that he had
participated in efforts in the Abaco Islands to evacuate people from
damaged homes and buildings. “We’re doing our best,” he said. “We’re strong, and we’re going to be OK.” The National Hurricane Center on Sunday called Dorian’s battering of the Abaco Islands “a life-threatening situation.” The
storm had grown larger, with hurricane force winds extending up to 45
miles out from Dorian’s center. It had maximum sustained winds of about
185 miles an hour, with some gusts over 220 mph, and was moving west at
about 5 mph. In Florida, mandatory evacuation orders were issued
for low-lying and other at-risk areas in Brevard, Martin and Palm Beach,
St. Johns, St. Lucie and Volusia counties, including the area in Palm
Beach where President
Trump
’s Mar-a-Lago resort is located. Other counties, including
Flagler, Glades and Osceola, issued voluntary evacuation orders for some
areas, according to the state’s Division of Emergency Management.
Note: Projections as of 11 a.m. Sunday
Source: NOAA
Though forecasts show the storm is unlikely to make landfall
in the state, that remains a possibility, the hurricane center said. A
hurricane warning was in effect from Jupiter Inlet in Palm Beach County
to the Volusia-Brevard County line in central Florida. The storm is
forecast to then march north toward Georgia and the Carolinas, causing
flooding and strong winds.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
said Sunday the storm remained a serious threat to the state and
urged residents to prepare for it and heed local officials’
instructions. “The strength of this storm cannot be
underestimated,” he said. “If you look at the forecast, it absolutely
could impact the coast and turn once it hits the coast. So we’ve got to
prepare for that eventuality.” The governors of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina declared states of emergency. South
Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued mandatory evacuation orders
starting at noon on Monday for coastal residents in eight counties. The
evacuations also applied to health-care facilities licensed by the
state. He called for schools and government offices in those counties to
close, starting Tuesday.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said the storm already is
kicking up dangerous surf and riptides along the state’s coast. “Right
now, Hurricane Dorian is fierce,” Mr. Cooper said. “North Carolina has
to take this seriously. Be ready.” Late Sunday,
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp
ordered a mandatory evacuation of the state’s coast starting at midday Monday. During
a briefing at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters Sunday
afternoon, Mr. Trump said the hurricane’s effects “will be felt hundreds
of miles or more from the eye of the storm and long before it
potentially makes landfall.” The president said most of the Eastern
Seaboard will be affected, “and some of it very, very severely.”
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you had to prepare for a hurricane or major storm? What helped you weather through it? Join the conversation below.
Dorian’s changing trajectory convinced some travel providers
to revise their contingency efforts. Orlando International Airport
dropped plans to close on Monday, citing the reduced likelihood of the
storm hitting central Florida. Airlines added extra flights over
the weekend and eased restrictions on ticket changes, though some
carriers closed services to prevent aircraft and crews being caught by
the storm.
Spirit Airlines Inc.,
one of the biggest operators at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood
International Airport, had canceled a fifth of its total flights Sunday,
according to FlightAware, an air travel tracking service.
Pete Gaynor,
the acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, said the track of Dorian remained uncertain near Florida and the
south Atlantic seaboard and he urged residents in its path to remain
vigilant. “Don’t dismiss this storm. We are not out of it,” Mr.
Gaynor said on “Fox News Sunday.” “Life-threatening, dangerous surge,
water, wind is coming your way. Take the time now to prepare you and
your family.” Mr. Gaynor was asked about the Trump administration’s recent decision to shift more than $100 million
in federal disaster aid to provide for more detention beds for migrants
near the U.S.-Mexico border. He said the shift was “not affecting our
preparedness whatsoever for Dorian.”
A view of ocean waves on Saturday from a beach on Nassau, the Bahamas,
as Hurricane Dorian, a slow-moving Category 5 storm, approached. It is
expected to linger over the Bahamas through much of Monday.
Lucy Worboys/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
By
Erin Ailworth and
Arian Campo-Flores
Dorian, a Category 5 storm that has become the strongest
hurricane on modern record to hit the northwestern Bahamas, thrashed the
Abaco Islands on Sunday with “catastrophic winds and storm surge,”
according to the National Hurricane Center. In an earlier update,
federal forecasters had warned that the storm had become extremely
intense, and cautioned people to remain alert even though current
predictions don’t have the storm making landfall on the U.S. mainland. “A
small deviation to the left of the track could bring the intense core
of the hurricane and its dangerous winds closer to or onto the coast,”
they said. Forecasters said the core of the storm was slowing as it
continued to sweep through the Bahamas, with Dorian expected to move
near to or over Grand Bahama Island late Sunday and into Monday. It is
then predicted to take a northward turn toward Florida’s east coast,
where some coastal residents have been put under evacuation orders. “Dorian is expected to remain a catastrophic hurricane during the next few days,” forecasters said in a 2 p.m. update.
The Category 5 storm has become the strongest hurricane on modern record to hit the area. Photo: Reuters
Hubert Minnis,
prime minister of the Bahamas, called Dorian a historic storm
that could bring storm surges washing over some island rooftops. He
worried about island residents who hadn’t heeded calls to move to
safety. “This will put us to a test that we’ve never confronted
before,” Mr. Minnis said in a Sunday afternoon press conference. “This
is a deadly storm and a monster of a storm.” Darren Henfield, the
Bahamas foreign minister, said in a video posted on Twitter that he had
participated in efforts in the Abaco Islands to evacuate people from
damaged homes and buildings. “We’re doing our best,” he said. “We’re strong, and we’re going to be OK.” The National Hurricane Center on Sunday called Dorian’s battering of the Abaco Islands “a life-threatening situation.” The
storm had grown larger, with hurricane force winds extending up to 45
miles out from Dorian’s center. It had maximum sustained winds of about
185 miles an hour, with some gusts over 220 mph, and was moving west at
about 5 mph. In Florida, mandatory evacuation orders were issued
for low-lying and other at-risk areas in Brevard, Martin and Palm Beach,
St. Johns, St. Lucie and Volusia counties, including the area in Palm
Beach where President
Trump
’s Mar-a-Lago resort is located. Other counties, including
Flagler, Glades and Osceola, issued voluntary evacuation orders for some
areas, according to the state’s Division of Emergency Management.
Note: Projections as of 11 a.m. Sunday
Source: NOAA
Though forecasts show the storm is unlikely to make landfall
in the state, that remains a possibility, the hurricane center said. A
hurricane warning was in effect from Jupiter Inlet in Palm Beach County
to the Volusia-Brevard County line in central Florida. The storm is
forecast to then march north toward Georgia and the Carolinas, causing
flooding and strong winds.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
said Sunday the storm remained a serious threat to the state and
urged residents to prepare for it and heed local officials’
instructions. “The strength of this storm cannot be
underestimated,” he said. “If you look at the forecast, it absolutely
could impact the coast and turn once it hits the coast. So we’ve got to
prepare for that eventuality.” The governors of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina declared states of emergency. South
Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued mandatory evacuation orders
starting at noon on Monday for coastal residents in eight counties. The
evacuations also applied to health-care facilities licensed by the
state. He called for schools and government offices in those counties to
close, starting Tuesday.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said the storm already is
kicking up dangerous surf and riptides along the state’s coast. “Right
now, Hurricane Dorian is fierce,” Mr. Cooper said. “North Carolina has
to take this seriously. Be ready.” Late Sunday,
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp
ordered a mandatory evacuation of the state’s coast starting at midday Monday. During
a briefing at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters Sunday
afternoon, Mr. Trump said the hurricane’s effects “will be felt hundreds
of miles or more from the eye of the storm and long before it
potentially makes landfall.” The president said most of the Eastern
Seaboard will be affected, “and some of it very, very severely.”
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you had to prepare for a hurricane or major storm? What helped you weather through it? Join the conversation below.
Dorian’s changing trajectory convinced some travel providers
to revise their contingency efforts. Orlando International Airport
dropped plans to close on Monday, citing the reduced likelihood of the
storm hitting central Florida. Airlines added extra flights over
the weekend and eased restrictions on ticket changes, though some
carriers closed services to prevent aircraft and crews being caught by
the storm.
Spirit Airlines Inc.,
one of the biggest operators at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood
International Airport, had canceled a fifth of its total flights Sunday,
according to FlightAware, an air travel tracking service.
Pete Gaynor,
the acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, said the track of Dorian remained uncertain near Florida and the
south Atlantic seaboard and he urged residents in its path to remain
vigilant. “Don’t dismiss this storm. We are not out of it,” Mr.
Gaynor said on “Fox News Sunday.” “Life-threatening, dangerous surge,
water, wind is coming your way. Take the time now to prepare you and
your family.” Mr. Gaynor was asked about the Trump administration’s recent decision to shift more than $100 million
in federal disaster aid to provide for more detention beds for migrants
near the U.S.-Mexico border. He said the shift was “not affecting our
preparedness whatsoever for Dorian.”
Acting
Homeland Security Secretary
Kevin McAleenan
said Sunday that federal money earmarked for transfer from
disaster relief to border issues hadn’t yet been moved and that there
had been no impact on the government’s ability to respond to the
hurricane because of it. “There will be no impact of the
potential reprogramming on our ability to respond to this storm,” Mr.
McAleenan said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” Mr. McAleenan said the
Disaster Recovery Fund contains approximately $25 billion and that the
potential reallocation of resources to the southwest border amounted to
about $155 million.
—Dan Molinski, Andrew Restuccia, Doug Cameron, Ken Thomas and Gordon Lubold contributed to this article.
Acting
Homeland Security Secretary
Kevin McAleenan
said Sunday that federal money earmarked for transfer from
disaster relief to border issues hadn’t yet been moved and that there
had been no impact on the government’s ability to respond to the
hurricane because of it. “There will be no impact of the
potential reprogramming on our ability to respond to this storm,” Mr.
McAleenan said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” Mr. McAleenan said the
Disaster Recovery Fund contains approximately $25 billion and that the
potential reallocation of resources to the southwest border amounted to
about $155 million.
—Dan Molinski, Andrew Restuccia, Doug Cameron, Ken Thomas and Gordon Lubold contributed to this article.
Hurricane Dorian Makes Third Landfall as a Category 5 in the Northwestern Bahamas; Hurricane Warning Issued in Florida
By weather.com meteorologists
3 hours ago
weather.com
01:19
Powerful Cat 5 Hurricane Dorian Continues West, Clobbering the Bahamas
Meteorologist
Heather Tesch provides an update as the Bahamas are getting slammed
from Hurricane Dorian. The prime minister of the Bahamas said, 'this is
probably the most sad and worst day of my life.'
At a Glance
Dorian is pounding the northwestern Bahamas as a Category 5 hurricane.
A life-threatening storm surge of up to 23 feet is possible there.
Wind gusts over 200 mph are possible in parts of the northwestern Bahamas.
A hurricane warning and a storm surge warning have been issued for a part of Florida's east coast.
Dorian is a threat for the Southeast from Florida to North Carolina this week.
What part of the coast experiences hurricane conditions remains uncertain and is dependent on the exact track.
Residents along the Southeast coast should have their hurricane plans ready and monitor Dorian closely.
Hurricane Dorian has made its third landfall as a Category 5
as it continues to pound the northwestern Bahamas, becoming the first
hurricane of that intensity to make landfall on Grand Bahama Island.
Dorian still poses a dangerous threat to Florida, Georgia, South
Carolina, North Carolina and southeastern Virginia in the days ahead.
Dorian made its first landfall on Elbow Cay, in the Abacos of the northwestern Bahamas, at 12:40 p.m. EDT Sunday. It then made a second landfall
on Great Abaco Island near Marsh Harbour at 2 p.m. EDT Sunday. Dorian's
third landfall occurred on the eastern end of Grand Bahama Island about
11 p.m. EDT Sunday night. Maximum sustained winds topped out at
185 mph on Sunday, putting Dorian in a tie for the second-highest
sustained wind speed among all Atlantic hurricanes. It also tied the
1935 Labor Day Hurricane in the Florida Keys as the strongest
landfalling hurricane in the Atlantic Basin.
Current Storm Status
(The
highest cloud tops, corresponding to the most vigorous convection, are
shown in the brightest red colors. Clustering, deep convection around
the center is a sign of a healthy tropical cyclone.)
Dorian was upgraded to Category 5 status Sunday morning after an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter mission confirmed winds had increased to above 157 mph. (INTERACTIVE: Current Bahamas Winds, Satellite) The
northwestern Bahamas are still taking the brunt of Dorian's eyewall.
Wind gusts over 200 mph are possible on the Abacos and Grand Bahama
islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Current Winds
Watches and Warnings
A
hurricane warning has been posted along the east coast of Florida from
Jupiter Inlet to the Volusia/Brevard County line. A storm surge warning
has also been issued from Lantana to the Volusia/Brevard County line.
These warnings include Melbourne. A hurricane warning remains in
effect for much of the northwestern Bahamas, including Freeport, Grand
Bahama, and Nassau, New Providence Island. Andros Island is under a
hurricane watch. Hurricane warnings mean that hurricane-force
winds (74-plus mph) are expected somewhere within the warning area,
generally within 36 hours. Preparations to protect life and property
should be rushed to completion. Storm surge warnings mean there is
a danger of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving
inland from the coastline, within the watch area during the next 36
hours. A hurricane watch has been posted along Florida's east
coast from north of Deerfield Beach to Jupiter Inlet and from the
Volusia/Brevard County line to the mouth of the St. Mary's River. A
storm surge watch has also been posted from north of Deerfield Beach to
Lantana and from the Volusia/Brevard County line to the mouth of the St.
Mary's River. These watches include Jacksonville. Hurricane
watches are issued when hurricane-force winds are possible within the
watch area. They are posted 48 hours before the first
tropical-storm-force winds (39-plus mph) are expected. A storm surge
watch means that a life-threatening inundation is possible within the
watch area during the next 48 hours. A tropical storm warning has
been posted along the east coast of Florida from north of Deerfield
Beach to Jupiter Inlet, meaning tropical-storm-force winds are expected
within 36 hours. This warning includes West Palm Beach. A tropical
storm watch is in effect for portions of Florida's east coast from
north of Golden Beach to Deerfield Beach, as well as for Lake
Okeechobee. This watch includes Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, Florida. Tropical storm watches mean winds of 39 mph or greater are possible within 48 hours.
Watches and Warnings
(A
watch is issued when tropical storm or hurricane conditions are
possible within 48 hours. A warning is issued when those conditions are
expected within 36 hours.)
Below is the latest on Dorian's timing and what we know about potential forecast impacts right now.
Dorian's Forecast Timing
Monday: Dorian
will still be hammering the northwestern Bahamas as it crawls slowly.
Bands of rain and strong winds may affect parts of Florida.
Tropical-storm-force winds (39-plus mph) are expected in the tropical
storm and hurricane warning areas of eastern Florida, with
hurricane-force winds (74-plus mph) possible by late Monday in the
hurricane warning area. How strong the winds will be depends on how
close the center of Dorian is to the Florida coast, which is still
uncertain at this time. Battering waves, coastal flooding and beach
erosion will increase along the southeastern coast of Florida. Tuesday: Dorian
will still be hammering the northwestern Bahamas, but conditions there
may slowly improve by night. Bands of rain and strong winds will still
affect parts of Florida. Hurricane-force winds are expected in the
hurricane warning area of eastern Florida. Coastal flooding and beach
erosion will spread northward along the Florida coast. Wednesday-Thursday:
Dorian is expected to move north, then northeastward near the coasts of
northeastern Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The
exact track is very uncertain, ranging from a track far enough offshore
to keep hurricane-force winds away from land to a landfall anywhere in
this zone. Storm-surge flooding, damaging winds and flooding rain are
all possible in these areas. Friday-Saturday:
Dorian is then expected to race off the Northeast Seaboard but could
track close enough to bring rain and some wind to the Virginia
Tidewater, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod before it heads
toward the Canadian Maritimes by the weekend.
Projected Path
(The
red-shaded area denotes the potential path of the center of Dorian.
It's important to note that impacts – heavy rain, high surf, coastal
flooding and winds – with any tropical cyclone usually spread beyond its
forecast path.)
Dorian's Track Uncertainty
Uncertainty
continues to be high when it comes to exact forecast impacts in the
southeastern U.S. However, all interests from Florida to Georgia, the
Carolinas and southeastern Virginia should have their hurricane plans
ready and monitor the forecast of Dorian closely.
High
pressure aloft will steer Dorian westward toward Florida this Labor Day
weekend. A turn to the north is then expected as a break between
high-pressure systems opens up. Where that northerly turn occurs is
uncertain.
The myriad of track
possibilities range from a Florida landfall and track northward through
part of the Florida Peninsula to a landfall somewhere in the Carolinas
to a scrape of the Southeast coast without the center ever moving ashore
to a sharper northeastward turn well offshore. The uncertainty in Dorian's exact track is mainly related to an area of high pressure off the East Coast when it fizzles. That
Bermuda high is currently steering Dorian toward the west but will
weaken soon, leaving Dorian stuck for a day or two, after which it then
is expected to turn north, then northeastward. Exactly when it
makes those north and northeastward turns is critical. If those turns
occur later, it's more of a landfall danger for parts of the Southeast
coast. If it makes those turns sooner, the threat of a landfall is less,
particularly in Florida and Georgia. Regardless of its exact track, Dorian is likely to be a dangerous hurricane when it nears the southeastern U.S. coast. Furthermore, as we saw with Hurricane Matthew in 2016, a hurricane doesn't have to make landfall in an area to produce significant impacts.
Dorian's Storm Surge, Wind and Rain Impacts
Bahamas In
the northwestern Bahamas, a life-threatening storm surge may cause
water levels to be as much as 18 to 23 feet above normal tide level in
areas of onshore winds. Near the coast, that storm surge will be
accompanied by large, destructive waves. Wind gusts over 200 mph are possible on the Abacos and Grand Bahama islands, according to the National Hurricane Center. Rainfall
totals of 12 to 24 inches are expected in the northwestern Bahamas,
with isolated amounts up to 30 inches, which may cause life-threatening
flash flooding, the National Hurricane Center said. The central Bahamas
can expect 2 to 4 inches, with isolated totals up to 6 inches. Southeastern U.S. Larger
swells and increased battering waves generated by Dorian are beginning
to arrive along the Southeast coast from North Carolina to eastern
Florida and will persist for several days. This will lead to
increasing beach erosion and coastal flooding, particularly around times
of high tides, which are generally around 10 to 11 a.m. and p.m. each
day. These impacts will occur regardless of whether Dorian's
center ever moves ashore in any part of Florida, Georgia or the
Carolinas. It's too early to know the exact magnitude and
location of any impacts from storm surge, damaging winds or flooding
rainfall at this time in Florida and the rest of the Southeast, given
the track uncertainty. (MAS: Dorian en Español) The
National Hurricane Center says water could reach the following heights
above ground level in eastern Florida if the peak surge coincides with
high tide. -Lantana to the mouth of the St. Mary's River: 4 to 7 feet -North of Deerfield Beach to Lantana: 2 to 4 feet That said, this storm-surge forecast will likely change depending on how close Dorian tracks to Florida.
Storm-Surge Forecast
(From the National Hurricane Center.)
The
worst wind impacts will occur within the hurricane's eyewall, while the
highest storm surge will occur immediately to the east or north of
where the center makes landfall, assuming it does at all. Again, it is
not possible to determine exactly where these will occur at this time. In
Florida, tropical-storm-force winds (74-plus mph) will arrive along the
coast well ahead of Dorian's closest pass, making preparations
difficult. Use the times listed below as the time you need have preparations completed.
Chance and Likely Timing of Tropical-Storm-Force Winds
(Tropical-storm-force winds are winds of at least 39 mph.)
Here are the latest rainfall projections from the National Hurricane Center and NOAA's Weather Prediction Center:-Coastal South Carolina and North Carolina: 5 to 10 inches, locally up to 15 inches. -Near Florida's Atlantic coast through eastern Georgia: 3 to 6 inches, locally up to 9 inches. -Southeastern Virginia: 2 to 4 inches, locally up to 6 inches. Should
the storm track farther offshore, these rain amounts will be less. And
if the track is more inland, this rain footprint would also include
areas farther inland.
Rainfall Outlook
(This
should be interpreted as a broad outlook of where the heaviest rain may
fall. Higher amounts may occur where bands or clusters of thunderstorms
stall for over a period of a few hours.)
For now, the entire Florida Peninsula and the Southeast coast need to be on high alert this week.If you live in an area prone to storm surge, be sure to follow the advice of local officials if evacuations are ordered. Check back to weather.com for the latest on Hurricane Dorian.
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