Violent waves and damaging winds reached the coasts of the Carolinas Wednesday, a harbinger of treacherous Hurricane Dorian's arrival in the coming days.
The eye of the storm currently looms off the coast of Georgia, crawling northwest at a speed of about 8 mph.
In the race against the clock to prepare for Dorian, the first storm-related death on U.S. soil was reported by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper in a press conference early Wednesday morning. The victim had been an 85-year-old man from Columbus County, North Carolina, who had fallen from a ladder while preparing his home for the storm. The death toll in the Bahamas rose to at least 20 people, as residents still process the devastation.
Since the first Dorian-related wind gust in the Southeast was recorded on Tuesday afternoon, the region has been buffeted by winds that are close to hurricane force. Despite being past its peak intensity, which dealt a historic blow the Bahamas, forecasters say the current state of the storm should be not taken lightly.
A widespread storm surge watch and warning have extended throughout the East Coast in preparation for Dorian’s impacts, while weather buoys in the ocean have recorded significant waves. A wave at 14.8 feet was detected off the coast of St. Augustine on Wednesday morning while other buoys off the coast of Georgia picked up waves at 8.9 feet and 10.8 feet.
On Tuesday night, a buoy off the shore of Melbourne, Florida, reported wind gusts of 90 mph with waves up to 32 feet.
The waves and currents have been just as dangerous close to the shoreline, threatening to sweep away anyone who dared to get too close. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office tweeted that a lifeguard had to save woman who had been standing on the shore of Neptune Beach, Florida, had been knocked down and pulled into the ocean by a current.
In St. Augustine, Florida, residents braced for Dorian with a sense of understanding, established only by many years of dealing with intense storms. As one resident put it, a sense of the inevitable has set in there, even if landfall never happens.
"We're just in one of those towns that when a hurricane comes close to us with a 6- or 8-foot surge, yes, everything's going to flood," Steven Drake said on Monday. "In a storm like this, the water comes up, and there's nowhere for it to go."
Airlines have also felt the punch from Dorian, as over 4,000 total flights have been canceled this week. Officials from the Charleston International Airport in South Carolina made the decision to close at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, following similar decisions made by Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina and the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, the world’s busiest airport.
(NASA)
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This photograph showing Hurricane Dorian churning over the Bahamas was captured on September 2 by astronauts on the International Space Station.
According to poweroutage.us, over 12,000 Floridians found themselves without power on Wednesday morning. Crews were actively working through the night to restore electricity to customers. According to floridadisaster.org, 4,000 of those outages come from the New Smyrna Beach area, where intense winds raged early Wednesday morning and felled trees created hurdles for utility crews.
In the Carolinas, residents of coastal communities have continually been advised to evacuate as multiple counties along the coast have declared a state of emergency. AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said there is a “strong likelihood of a landfall anywhere between Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.”
“Flood risks are the greatest over the coastal Carolinas,” AccuWeather Broadcast Meteorologist Justin Povick said. “We’re talking about an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 15 inches of rain, and this will cause widespread, dangerous flooding.”
Coastal counties in the Carolinas such as Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina have issued mandatory evacuations to prepare for the threat of landfall. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper warned residents in a press conference on Wednesday that time was running short as the storm crawls closer toward the state.
"Today is the day to finish preparing," Cooper said. "I urge everyone to do so with safety in mind."
RELATED:
10 p.m. EDT Wednesday:
Rain bands are spreading across South Carolina and North Carolina Coasts ahead of Dorian.
The hurricane will continue moving northeast and pass only 20-30 miles off the coast of Wilmington, NC Thursday evening.
Moderate flooding from 6-10 inches of rain, a 4-8 foot storm surge and damaging tropical storm force winds with gusts over hurricane force are expected along parts of the coastal southeastern United States from Georgia to the Carolinas tonight through Friday morning.
Moderate flooding from 6-10 inches of rain, a 4-8 foot storm surge and damaging tropical storm force winds with gusts over hurricane force are expected along parts of the coastal southeastern United States from Georgia to the Carolinas tonight through Friday morning.
Flooding will be life threatening across portions of Charleston, SC and other tidal surge prone areas in eastern SC especially around 1 am with high tide as storm surge warning in effect with Hurricane Dorian!
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9 p.m. EDT Wednesday:
Hurricane Dorian is restrengthening and has the potential to attain Category 3 status again.
"Predecessor rain event has been ongoing all day just offshore eastern North Carolina with some likely water spouts as well as very heavy rain," AccuWeather's Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer reported. "If this ever can make it onshore it would cause major flash flooding problems."
Very laminar, circular eye wall now with restrengthening Hurricane Dorian would not be surprised if it attained Category 3 status once again
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8 p.m. EDT Wednesday:
"Life threatening storm surge with significant coastal flooding is expected along a large portion of the southeast and mid-Atlantic coasts of the US during the next couple of days," the National Hurricane Center said.
Following Dorian's wrath in the Bahamas, people are doing laundry and drying clothes in any place available. The hurricane death toll has climbed to 20 as residents in the Bahamas still process the devastation.
"People [are] crammed into an office building and doing laundry in buckets and drying clothes on trees and downed power lines," national reporter Jonathan Petramala said explaining the scene in the Bahamas. "Locals warn it’s on the edge of violence."
This is the scene outside the Bahamas government building. People crammed into an office building and doing laundry In buckets and drying clothes on trees and downed power lines. Locals warn it’s on the edge of violence. @accuweather @breakingweather #MarshHarbour
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7 p.m. EDT Wednesday:
Dorian was packing 110-mph sustained winds and was about 130 miles south of Charleston.
According to the National Hurricane Center, wind gusts up to 49-mph have been measured at Folly Beach Pier, just south of Charleston, South Carolina.
Hurricane Dorian at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday. (GOES-East/NOAA)
6 p.m. EDT Wednesday:
The eye of Dorian was moving north-northwestward off the Georgia coast early Wednesday evening.
As the center of the storm closed in on Charleston, South Carolina, some homeowners there weren't taking any chances by leaving their residences vulnerable to flooding from Hurricane Dorian. Some homes in the city were fortified by 'the world's largest sandbags' -- which is a bit of a misnomer since they're not actually filled with sand.
As the center of the storm closed in on Charleston, South Carolina, some homeowners there weren't taking any chances by leaving their residences vulnerable to flooding from Hurricane Dorian. Some homes in the city were fortified by 'the world's largest sandbags' -- which is a bit of a misnomer since they're not actually filled with sand.
5:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday:
Dorian strengthened slightly and is just shy of a Category 3 hurricane. The storm is located about 150 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina with maximum sustained winds of 110-mph moving at 8-mph.
One storm-related death occurred in Columbus County, North Carolina after an 85-year-old man fell off of a ladder while preparing his home for Dorian, Gov. Roy Cooper said.
A mandatory evacuation was issued in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, as Dorian closes in on the coast.
"I'm not going to take a chance," Wrightsville Beach resident Frank Lindsay said. "It looks calm right now, but that's very deceptive."
5 p.m. EDT Wednesday:
Anna Huntsinger from St. Paul, Minnesota, is in Charleston, S.C., and talked about staying in Charleston for Dorian. "We're actually visiting my parents. My mom and dad moved here two months ago," she said. "So it's their first hurricane experience and our first experience."
4:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday:
Tuesday, nearly 2,000 flights across the U.S. were canceled, more than 1,400 others were delayed, according to FlightAware.com. It is estimated that 92 percent of the 1,728 flights canceled were either headed into or out of Orlando International Airport (MCO). Wednesday, these were the numbers:
4:15 p.m. EDT Wednesday:
Hurricane Dorian has not only brought wind and rain: it has also brought bricks of cocaine. As CBS News reported, police confirmed that 25 kilos of cocaine washed ashore on the nearby Cocoa Beach. Some “DIAMANT”s were also found near Paradise Beach Park.
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3:45 p.m. EDT Wednesday:
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in Florida is reporting storm surge damage at Hanna Park and Huguenot Park. On Wednesday morning, an incident was reported in Neptune Beach in which a lifeguard saved a woman who was standing on shore and was knocked down by a strong current, and pulled into the water.
3:20 p.m. EDT Wednesday:
This is just amazing 🙌⬇️. Click the image to watch the full story:
3:00 p.m. EDT Wednesday:
Dorian is the most formidable tropical system in the Atlantic basin right now by far, but it's hardly alone: Tropical Storm Fernand made landfall in Mexico on Wednesday, and Tropical Storm Gabrielle formed over the open Atlantic, making it a full three-ring circus. And over the in the Pacific basin a tropical depression is budding, following already formed Hurricane Juliette.
2:38 p.m. EDT Wednesday:
Corporate America is mobilizing to help in response to Hurricane Dorian. Lowe's sent 3,000 supply trucks to coastal areas in preparation for the storm. Disney has pledged "more than $1 million in cash and in-kind support to help relief and recovery efforts for those in the Bahamas affected by Hurricane Dorian," the company announced on Facebook. The cruise line Royal Caribbean announced on Twitter it is pledging $1 million to rebuilding efforts. And Airbnb is offering free housing to Hurricane Dorian evacuees.
If you'd like to help, here are a few ways you can contribute to relief efforts.
2:17 p.m. EDT Wednesday:
Heavy rain from Hurricane Dorian was falling in Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday as the storm moved north parallel to the coast of the southeastern U.S.
1:20 p.m. EDT Wednesday:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) zoomed in on the eye of Dorian as it moved parallel to the coast of northeastern Florida.
Sustained tropical-storm-force winds have been reported in Jacksonville, with a wind gust up to 55 mph observed.
NOAA's #GOESEast zoomed in on the eye of #HurricaneDorian as the storm slowly treks northward. #HurricaneWarnings have been extended northward to the #NorthCarolina #Virginia border, according to the @NHC_Atlantic. More: go.usa.gov/xV8bq #scwx #ncwx
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Officials in Florida continued to warn residents of the dangers from the storm, even Dorian's track shifts farther away from the state.
“The images coming in from the Bahamas are gut wrenching, but show exactly how fortunate Florida has been with this storm, however, there will still be impacts in Florida from Hurricane Dorian,” said Florida Department of Emergency Management director Jared Moskowitz.
“Throughout tonight and tomorrow, our state will still experience storm surge, high winds and other impacts along the coast, and I urge every Floridian to take these threats seriously. For the entirety of this storm, Florida has had great support from the federal government and other states, and we will continue to work closely with FEMA, other state agencies, legislators and our local partners to make sure we are coordinating every effort.”
12:48 a.m. EDT Wednesday:
Forecasting hurricanes is a team sport. Take a peek behind the curtains of AccuWeather's Global Weather Center and see how meteorologists approach forecasting tricky storms like Dorian.
11:58 a.m. EDT Wednesday:
Delta Airlines announced that it is set to restart standard operations in Orlando and West Palm Beach today with Hurricane Dorian having passed by. Airports in Daytona Beach, Melbourne and Jacksonville, Florida, will all remain closed.
Delta also previously announced that it has extended flight waivers for travelers going to the Bahamas through September 21 because of damage the islands received from Dorian.
10:22 a.m. EDT Wednesday:
AccuWeather captured the first aerial images of Marsh Harbour in the wake of Dorian. The scenes of destruction there are, as national reporter Jonathan Petramala put it, "just heartbreaking."
9:55 a.m. EDT Wednesday:
One of the most heart-pounding moments to come out of the Bahamas resulted from a photojournalist becoming part of the story. A photographer working for The Associated Press in Freeport shot video and photos of himself and his 21-year-old daughter and 17-year-old son fleeing their home as Dorian's storm surge rapidly inundated the area. He captured the tense moments on camera as his daughter, Julia, carried their dogs out of the home through chest-deep water.
9:36 a.m. EDT Wednesday:
Dorian finally pulled out of the Bahamas after pummeling the island nation for two days. Even as the sun comes back out there, survivors will face a host of challenges in the coming days and weeks. Here's a look at the long road to recovery ahead.
9:15 a.m. EDT Wednesday:
Boy, 6, donates money he was saving for a trip to Disney to help Hurricane Dorian evacuees. We may not all be as altruistic as little Jermaine Bell is, but if you want to help out with Dorian relief efforts, here are a few ways you can make a difference.
8:30 a.m. EDT Wednesday:
As Hurricane Dorian slowly churns along the Florida coast, many evacuation orders went up. One woman in Jacksonville, whose home has been impacted by flooding in previous hurricanes, was refusing to evacuate, however, and instead came up with an unusual way to protect her home from Dorian's expected floodwaters. But will it work?
5:12 a.m. EDT Wednesday:
People in South Florida, who themselves were spared from the destructive path of Dorian, are pitching in to help the Bahamas recover, donating essentials such as clean drinking water and canned goods, according to the Associated Press.
At the 5 a.m. update from the NHC, Dorian's maximum sustained wind speeds are still at 105 mph while the core of the storm has moved about 10 miles closer to Daytona Beach, Florida.
4:35 a.m. EDT Wednesday:
Dorian finally pulled out of the Bahamas after pummeling the island nation for two days. Even as the sun comes back out there, survivors will face a host of challenges in the coming days and weeks. Here's a look at the long road to recovery ahead.
4 a.m. EDT Wednesday:
An update issued by NHC states that Dorian's maximum sustained winds are down to 105 mph as the center of the storm lies 100 miles east of Daytona Beach, Florida. These winds are still within Category 2 hurricane strength.
The eye of Hurricane #Dorian is directly east of New Smyrna Beach. We’re seeing power lines arcing, fire alarms going off and pieces of building facade blowing around. @accuweather @breakingweather
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3:10 a.m. EDT Wednesday:
Power outages have increased to over 14,000 customers across Florida, according to poweroutage.us. This is up from around 10,000 customers around 11 p.m. EDT Tuesday.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) says that Dorian has maintained Category 2 hurricane strength. Wind gusts have come close to hurricane force (74 mph or greater) at New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
1:25 a.m. EDT Wednesday:
Volusia County Emergency Management in Florida reports that all bridges in the county are now closed to eastbound traffic, with the exception of emergency vehicles. Daytona Beach is located in Volusia County.
Meanwhile, a Flood Advisory is in effect for portions of Volusia, Lake and Orange counties through 3 a.m. EDT, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Melbourne, Florida.
"The rain band moving into these counties has already produced a quick 1-2 [inches] of rain. Watch for ponding of water on roadways, especially as this band moves farther [southwest]," the NWS said on Twitter.
Streets and parking lots are reportedly underwater near Fort Pierce, Florida, due to rising tide levels and Dorian.
A rising tide and some effects from #HurricaneDorian causing many streets and parking lots in the barrier islands near Fort Pierce to flood. The rain has subsided, the wind less intense. @MyNews13
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12 a.m. EDT Wednesday:
The National Hurricane Center said that a sustained wind of 56 mph and a gust of 76 mph was recently reported at a NOAA buoy located about 140 miles east of Cape Canaveral, Florida. At Canaveral Point, Florida, a sustained wind of 49 mph and a gust of 62 mph was also reported.
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