ABC News(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Dorian is churning dangerously close to the Southeast coastline Wednesday, where residents from Florida to the Carolinas are bracing for powerful rains, wind and flooding.
Dorian, now a Category 2, is moving north, parallel to the Florida coast, and might make landfall in North Carolina.
Here’s what to expect and when, according to the latest forecast:
Florida
Dorian slammed Florida with strong winds Wednesday morning, bringing wind gusts near 70 mph to New Smyrna Beach.
At 10 am Wed morning Hurricane Dorian was located about 90 mi east-northeast of Daytona Beach FL, or about 130 mi east-southeast of Jacksonville FL. Dorian has max sustained winds of 105 mph, and is moving to the north-northwest at 8 mph. pic.twitter.com/h7ijyQNcS7
— NWS Eastern Region (@NWSEastern) September 4, 2019
Please refrain from travel to observe storm-related damage. Very light damage reported in NSB.
– Several small and large trees down; Art Center Drive shown in photo.
– Very few city residents and <200 Samsula residents currently without power. Work crews are responding. pic.twitter.com/U4YpSqbzDt— City of New Smyrna Beach (@CityofNSB) September 4, 2019
Flash flooding, storm surge and strong winds are all possible as Dorian moves along — but still offshore from — Florida’s east coast through Wednesday afternoon.
Storm surge may reach up to 5 feet from Daytona Beach to Jacksonville.
By Wednesday afternoon, the storm will move north off the coast of Jacksonville.
Georgia
Dorian will then continue north, reaching Savannah, Ga., by Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
Life-threatening storm surge and dangerous winds are expected along Georgia’s coast.
South Carolina & North Carolina
A hurricane warning is in effect from Charleston to the North Carolina-Virginia border.
On Thursday morning, Dorian will make a close passage to Charleston — a city very vulnerable to storm surge and flooding — but storm surge and gusty winds will begin well before Dorian arrives.
Dorian is forecast to near Wilmington on Thursday night and may make landfall there.
Dorian will get close to, or even possibly make landfall, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina early Friday morning as a Category 2 hurricane.
The highest storm surge is expected for the South Carolina coast, where up to 8 feet is possible.
The heaviest rainfall from Dorian is expected to hit the coastal Carolinas, where up to 15 inches of rain is possible.
Virginia is even forecast to see some effects from Dorian. A tropical storm watch is in effect for southern Virginia, including Norfolk.
By Friday night, Dorian will leave the U.S. and go out to sea.
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