Hurricane Dorian Menaces Georgia, Carolinas; Florida May Escape Direct Hit

JACKSONVILLE. FL. (Reuters) —
The eye of Hurricane Dorian is seen from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) WP-3D Orion aircraft during a reconnaissance mission over the Atlantic Ocean, August 31. (Paul Chang/NOAA/Handout via Reuters)

Hurricane Dorian punched northwest on Saturday to threaten Georgia and the Carolinas, possibly sparing Florida a direct hit, as the Bahamas braced for catastrophic waves and wind from the muscular category-4 storm.

Coastal towns in central and southeast Florida told residents to remain vigilant despite forecasts they might dodge a Dorian landfall.

Communities in northeast Florida, Georgia and South Carolina raised alert levels, with residents filling sandbags as authorities tested infrastructure and hurricane drills. South Carolina on Saturday joined Georgia, North Carolina and Florida in declaring a state of emergency.

Local residents wait to purchase fuel before the arrival of Hurricane Dorian on the Great Abaco island town of Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, August 31. (Reuters/Dante Carrer)

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said there had been a “notable change” since Friday night, with the latest forecasts showing the eye of the storm could veer north and stay out at sea.

But it warned that its course remained unpredictable and Dorian posed an immediate threat to the Bahamas as well as millions of people along the southeast coast.

“While obviously for us it’s a better forecast, we can’t assume that there’s not going to be hazardous weather,” said Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber.

The NHC said Dorian was packing maximum sustained winds of 150 mph and was expected to hit the northwest Bahamas islands on Sunday, nearing Florida’s east coast late Monday through Tuesday.

Bahamas tourist hotspots Great Abaco and Grand Bahamas were predicted to get up to a 15-foot storm surge and two days of hurricane-force winds starting on Sunday.

“Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina have got to pay attention as well,” NHC Director Ken Graham said in a social media video.

NHC models showed a two-thirds chance the hurricane could hit land as far north as North Carolina.

“I was going to go north, but it’s going to South Carolina, and now I don’t know what it’s doing,” said Andrea Greenleaf, 25, a freelance photographer in Jacksonville, Florida.

Central Florida towns urged residents to remain alert.

Empty shelves for headlights, lanterns and other supplies are seen at a Home Depot store ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Dorian in Miami, Florida, Friday. (Reuters/Marco Bello)

“Don’t start taking down your shutters, don’t start disassembling your emergency plan,” said Eric Flowers, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office in Indian River County.

On Tybee Island, a Georgia coastal barrier island, authorities put out sand in a local park so residents could fill sandbags to protect against possible flooding in the marshy area.

“We’re watching it really closely, our biggest concern is storm surge because the tides are really high right now,” said the manager of a local restaurant, who asked not be named as he was not authorized to speak to media.

Further north, Dorchester County in South Carolina raised its alert level to make sure infrastructure and public safety crews were ready for the hurricane in the area near the historic city of Charleston.

To Read The Full Story

Are you already a subscriber?
Click to log in!