Twitter/@lunsford_erica(MIAMI) — Dangerous Hurricane Dorian is barreling toward the Southeast U.S., where residents from Florida to the Carolinas are bracing for impact.
Here’s what people in the Southeast can expect, according to the latest forecast.
Florida
Dorian will be closest to Florida on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning when it nears Cape Canaveral as a Category 3 hurricane.
Flooding, winds up to 80 mph and storm surge will be the biggest threats to Florida’s east coast over next few days.
Storm surge could reach 7 feet from West Palm beach to Jacksonville.
The National Hurricane Center is also warning of a tornado threat in Florida on Monday.
“Hurricane Dorian is the strongest storm to ever threaten the state of Florida on the East Coast,” said Jared Moskowitz, director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management. “No matter what path this storm takes, our state will be impacted.”
Hurricane warnings are in effect from just north of West Palm Beach to Cape Canaveral.
A hurricane watch has been issued for Daytona and Jacksonville while a tropical storm watch was issued for Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in parts of Martin, Palm Beach, St, Lucie, Brevard, St. Johns, Volusia, Duval, Indian River and Nassau Counties.
“People need to remain vigilant. If you’re ordered to evacuate, you need to do that,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday. “Get out now while you have time.”
Georgia
Storm surge is a major threat to the Georgia coastline as Dorian moves north — it could reach 4 to 7 feet by Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
Those in the Savannah area are urged to prepare for heavy rains, flooding and strong winds.
Gov. Brian Kemp has ordered evacuations for residents east of Interstate 95 in Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Glynn, Liberty and McIntosh Counties.
South Carolina & North Carolina
Dorian is forecast to curve northeast and come very close to the Carolinas, especially near Wilmington and up to Cape Hatteras.
At that time Dorian is expected to be a Category 2, bringing dangerous storm surge with it.
The heaviest rainfall from Dorian is expected to hit North Carolina, which could see up to 15 inches of rain.
In South Carolina, evacuations were ordered in parts of Colleton, Beaufort, Jasper, Charleston, Berkeley, Horry and Georgetown counties.
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