Hurricane Dorian picked up speed as it turned toward the East Coast, moving "dangerously close" along Florida's and Georgia's coast through Wednesday night, with the Carolinas next in the devastating storm's path.
The slow-moving Category 2 hurricane began drenching the northeastern coat of Florida at around 5 a.m. on Wednesday (Sept. 4). Forecasters say Dorian will move north through Wednesday night, with it arriving near or over the South and North Carolina coasts Thursday through Friday morning. Maximum sustained winds of 105 mph were measured with the National Hurricane Center warning residents that water levels could begin to rise well-ahead of the storm's arrival. As of 10 a.m., the hurricane was about 95 miles east-northeast of Daytona Beach, moving north-northwest at 8 mph.
“All interests from northeast Florida to the Carolinas should remain vigilant to the possibility of experiencing destructive winds, flooding rains, and life-threatening storm surges from this hurricane,” the center said.
"The surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves," the center said. "Surge-related flooding can vary greatly over short distances."
Four states including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, have been granted federal emergency declarations ahead of the storm's arrival. The storm is not forecast to make landfall, but hurricane-force winds are expected to reach parts of the East Coast.
Meanwhile, as Dorian moves north, the Bahamas are recovering from the storm's devastation after it made landfall as a Category 5 with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph. Officials say at least seven people were killed, and more deaths are expected to be reported as recovery efforts continue. The storm moved slowly over the islands for more than 36 hours, as it dumped up to 30 inches of rain on some parts of the island.
An estimated 13,000 homes were destroyed by the storm, with "most docks destroyed and 99% of boats sunk" according to reports.
Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said at a press conference that Dorian was "the greatest national crisis in our country's history."
"Our urgent task will be to provide food, water, shelter, safety and security," Minnis said. "Additional food will be delivered by NEMA tomorrow."
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