Dorian is moving away from the East Coast

Clean up has begun after Dorian leaves devastation in its wake

ROANOKE, Va.5 P.M. FRIDAY UPDATE: 

Dorian continues to move away from the Mid-Atlantic states.

It is currently moving NE at 24 mph.

Dorian's maximum sustained winds are still at 90 mph.

Once winds weaken below 74 mph, Dorian will weaken to Tropical Storm strength.

Dorian is 330 miles SSW of Nantucket.

Dorian is expected to bring hurricane-force winds to portions of Nova Scotia.

2 P.M. FRIDAY UPDATE: 

Dorian is finally moving away from the east coast and further into the Atlantic Ocean.

Dorian is picking up speed due to the open waters and because it is no longer near land, which can slow a storm system down.

Hurricane Dorian is currently tracking to the northeast at 21 mph.

Dorian remains a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 90 mph. 

Once winds weaken below 74 mph, Dorian will weaken to Tropical Storm strength.

9 A.M. FRIDAY UPDATE:

Dorian has made its first landfall in the U.S. as a Category 1 hurricane near Cape Hatteras.

It happened at 8:35 a.m. It will continue to move out to sea throughout the day Friday.

8 A.M. FRIDAY UPDATE:

Dorian is close to making its first U.S. landfall near the Outer Banks as a Category 1 hurricane.

Flooding rain, coastal storm surge and high wind gusts continue for northeastern North Carolina and eastern Virginia. 

11 P.M. THURSDAY UPDATE:

Hurricane Dorian's core is brushing the North Carolina coast.

Areas near Cape Fear dealt with the northwestern eyewall.

It is situated 35 miles southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina and about 70 miles southwest of Cape Lookout. 

Areas anywhere between Atlantic Beach and Cape Lookout could see a landfall a bit later tonight.

Hurricane Dorian is still a Category 2 Hurricane moving very quickly now.

Later tomorrow afternoon, Dorian will no longer threaten the mid-Atlantic.

However, a tropical storm warning does remain in effect in the Hampton Roads area.

5 P.M. THURSDAY UPDATE:  

Dorian remains a Category 2 Hurricane with winds of 105 mph.

The pressure has risen to 960 mb.

Dorian has changed its track and speed to the northeast at 10 mph.

2 P.M. THURSDAY UPDATE: 

Dorian remains a Category 2 Hurricane.

Sustained winds remain at 110 mph and gusting to 130 mph.

Pressure and movement remain unchanged.

11 A.M. THURSDAY UPDATE:

Dorian has become a Category 2 Hurricane as it tracks to the north-northeast at 8 mph.

Sustained winds are now at 110 mph and gusting to 130 mph.

The pressure of Dorian is currently sitting at 958 mb.

Dorian has been causing multiple tornadoes in the Carolinas due the amount of spin in the atmosphere.

It is being reported that approximately 225,000 customers are without power in South Carolina.

8 A.M. THURSDAY UPDATE:

Dorian continues to move up the East Coast, about 70 miles away from Charleston, SC. Tornado watches are in effect from Myrtle Beach up the East Coast of North Carolina. Flooding, high winds and tornadoes are all on the table for folks east of I-95 through Friday.

11 P.M. WEDNESDAY UPDATE:

As of 11 p.m., Hurricane Dorian has strengthened into a Category 3, which makes it a major hurricane.

The winds strengthened from 110 mph to 115 mph, which changes the hurricane from Category 2 to 3.

Dorian could cause wind gusts up to 140 mph.

Dorian is moving N at 7 mph.

It could make landfall within the next 24-36 hours along the Carolina coastline. (Storm Team 10's best estimate would be near Cape Fear, south of Wilmington.)

5 P.M. WEDNESDAY UPDATE:  

Hurricane Dorian remains at a Category 2 this evening.

Sustained winds have strengthened slightly from 105 mph to 110 mph.

Pressure has decreased to 961 mb.

Dorian is tracking to the north-northwest at 8 mph.

The latest from the National Hurricane Center says that life-threatening storm surge and dangerous winds are still expected along the Florida coast, all the way into southeastern Virginia. 

Flash flooding will become a large concern along the Georgia coastline tonight through Friday.

2 P.M. WEDNESDAY UPDATE: 

Dorian remains a Category 2 Hurricane with sustained winds of 105 mph.

The pressure of Dorian is currently sitting at 964 mb.

Hurricane Dorian continues to track to the north-northwest at 9 mph.

The eye of Dorian is 115 miles east of Jacksonville, FL as of 2 P.M. EST.

11 A.M. WEDNESDAY UPDATE: 

Dorian remains a Category 2 hurricane.

Its maximum sustained winds remain at 105 mph. Although, compared to the 8 a.m. update, the storm is now moving at 9 mph, rather than 8 mph.

5 A.M. WEDNESDAY UPDATE:

Dorian is a Category 2 hurricane and has finally moved north of the Bahamas. Its outer rain bands are affecting northeastern Florida along with tropical storm force wind gusts reported in areas like Jacksonville, FL. Dorian will continue to parallel the East Coast. Tropical storm and Hurricane alerts are in effect for the eastern half of the Carolinas and near Virginia Beach. Between Wednesday night and Friday morning, as much as 6-10" of rain will fall in coastal locations. Here at home, gusty wind and a few Southside showers will be possible.

11 P.M. TUESDAY UPDATE:

Dorian is now moving N/NW at 6 mph, and will continue to bring rain, wind and storm surge to coastal Florida. As of now, Dorian looks to parallel the Georgia coastline and get even closer to the Carolina coastlines as we get closer to Thursday and Friday. Areas from Charleston north to the Outer Banks could see tropical storm to hurricane-force winds and anywhere from 6-12 inches of rain beginning on Thursday.
 

2 P.M. TUESDAY UPDATE:

Dorian is pulling away from the Bahamas as a Category 2 hurricane, moving to the northwest at 5 mph. 

11 A.M. TUESDAY UPDATE:

Since the previous update, Dorian's maximum sustained winds have decreased to 110 mph. It is now a Category 2 hurricane, moving away from the Bahamas.

5 A.M. TUESDAY UPDATE:

Since the previous update, Dorian's maximum sustained winds have decreased to 120 mph.

The storm is still stationary. It will start to move north over the coming days, with impacts along the East Coast.

11 P.M. MONDAY UPDATE:

Since the previous update, Dorian's maximum sustained winds have decreased to 130 mph.

The storm is still stationary.

8 P.M. MONDAY UPDATE:

Since the previous update, Dorian's maximum sustained winds have decreased to 140 mph.

The storm is still stationary.

5 P.M. MONDAY UPDATE:

Since the previous update, Dorian's maximum sustained winds have decreased to 145 mph.

Also, the storm is currently stationary.

2 P.M. MONDAY UPDATE:

Since the previous update, Dorian's maximum sustained winds have decreased to 150 mph.

It's still moving west-northwest at 1 mph.

11 A.M. MONDAY UPDATE:

Dorian has weakened into a high-end Category 4 hurricane with winds of 155 mph.

The pressure is now up to 916 mb.

It continues to slowly move to the west across the northern Bahamas at 1 mph.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Dorian is expected to turn north/northwest Tuesday morning.

The NHC says, it will be dangerously close to the east coast of Florida and just the slightest deviation to the left could bring the core onshore of  Florida. 

Regardless, this storm will bring tropical storm force and potentially hurricane force winds to the east coast of Florida through Wednesday. 

8 A.M. MONDAY UPDATE:

There has been no change in regard to Dorian's strength and motion. 

It continues to crawl westward across Grand Bahama at 1 mph.

Unfortunately, the slow movement of Dorian is causing multiple hours worth of hurricane-force winds, storm surge and flooding for Grand Bahama.

It is expected to continue into early Monday morning.

5 A.M. MONDAY UPDATE:

The 5 a.m. updated from the National Hurricane Center keeps Dorian at a Category 5 hurricane with winds at 165 mph. 

The storm is crawling to the west at only 1 mph.

The curve to the north/northwest is expected to happen late Monday and into Tuesday morning.

The center, at this time, is expected to stay off the coast of Florida.

Dorian will continue to slide up the southeast coast over the next few days bringing flooding rain and high winds from Florida to North Carolina.

11 P.M. SUNDAY UPDATE:

Hurricane Dorian remains a Category 5 Hurricane this Sunday night.

The storms sustained winds have decreased slightly to 180 mph.

The pressure has increased to 914 mb.

Dorian is now tracking to the west at 6 mph.

All of Florida, along with parts of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina are under a State of Emergency.

Mandatory evacuations are underway for the Florida and South Carolina coasts.

As for the Bahamas, they continue to deal with the storm as it will continue to slowly track to the west and out of the area by Monday evening.

A 23-foot storm surge is possible in the Bahamas.

5 P.M. SUNDAY UPDATE:

As of the latest update from the National Hurricane Center, Dorian remains a very dangerous Category 5 Hurricane.

Winds have remained at 185 mph, gusting to 225 mph.

The pressure has dropped slightly to 910 mb.

The movement of Dorian has slowed. Dorian continues to track to the west at only 5 mph.

Due to the slow movement of this storm, prolonged disastrous winds and storm surge are likely to occur in the Bahamas, along with the Florida and Georgia coasts.

Dorian made landfall twice in the Bahamas on Sunday. The eye of the storm moved over Elbow Cay and Marsh Harbour, both of which reside on the northern side of the Bahamas.

Residents in the path of Dorian are asked to listen to the advice of their local emergency officials.

2 P.M. SUNDAY UPDATE:

BREAKING: Dorian makes landfall in Marsh Harbour.

Dorian, which remains a Category 5 Hurricane with winds of 185 mph, has made landfall in Elbow Cay in the Bahamas on Sunday afternoon. 

It will continue to impact the Bahamas through Monday and will continue to track towards and along the Florida coast through Wednesday.

From the latest forecast released by the National Hurricane Center, Dorian will move along the coast of Florida beginning as a Category 5 Hurricane, but will gradually weaken with time.

The pressure of Dorian is currently sitting at 911 mb as it continues to track to the west at only 7 mph.

 11 A.M. SUNDAY UPDATE:

Sunday morning, Dorian was upgraded to a Category 5 Hurricane.

By Sunday afternoon, it strengthened more with maximum sustained wind speeds at 185 mph.

This is the strongest hurricane to hit the northwestern Bahamas in modern history.

It will continue to impact the northern Bahamas through Monday. 

It will batter Great Abaco and Grand Bahaman islands with hurricane-force winds, along with powerful storm surge and flooding. 

Dorian will slow down even more as we head through Monday and Tuesday. 

The current forecast has Dorian making a slight curve to the west/northwest Monday into Tuesday as it approaches Florida's Atlantic coast. 

 

8 A.M. SUNDAY UPDATE:

Dorian has been upgraded to a Category 5 Hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds at 160 mph.

The eye of the hurricane is about 20 miles wide and the storm continues to move slowly to the west at 8 mph. 

Dorian will impact the northern Bahamas throughout Sunday and even into parts of Monday. 

It is going to bring hurricane-force winds to Great Abaco and Grand Bahaman Islands, along with powerful storm surge and flooding. 

Dorian will slow down even more as we head into Monday. 

The current forecast has Dorian making a slight curve to the west/northwest Monday into Tuesday as it approaches Florida's Atlantic coast. 

This curve is CRUCIAL in the projected path of the storm. 

As it stands, the forecast keeps Dorian off the coastline of Florida early next week, then curving towards Georgia and the Carolinas late in the week. 

All locations from Florida to the Carolinas need to remain vigilant to the forecast. 

5 P.M. SATURDAY UPDATE:

Dorian remains a Category 4 Hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds remaining at 150 mph.

It remains a slow-moving storm as it tracks to the west at only 8 mph.

Dorian is still expected to impact the Bahamas on Sunday.

The latest advisory from the National Hurricane has continued to bring the lasted tracking farther east on Monday and could potentially stay off the coast of Florida.

 

11 A.M. SATURDAY UPDATE:

Dorian is on the cusp of a Category 5 Hurricane with maximum wind speeds of 150 mph.

It has slowed down with a forward speed of only 8 mph moving to the west. 

Dorian is expected to impact the Bahamas Sunday.

The latest tracking has shifted even further to the east where it may just miss landfall in Florida. 

Due to the eastward shift in the forecast, South Carolina declared a state of emergency Saturday morning.

Dorian could potentially make landfall in the Carolinas toward mid/late week.

8 A.M. SATURDAY UPDATE:

The latest NHC Advisory indicates that Dorian has intensified.

It contains maximum wind speeds of 145 mph and the pressure has dropped to 944 mb. 

Dorian is now moving to the west at 12 mph.

It is expected to impact the northern Bahamas as a Category 4 Hurricane on Sunday.

The latest update has Dorian beginning to slow down in speed and beginning to turn northward as it approaches the eastern Florida coastline.

This could still change.

The timing of when Dorian begins to curve north will determine the landfall location and time. 

Regardless, if it stays over the warm water, it will maintain its strength as a major hurricane for some time. 

5 A.M. SATURDAY UPDATE:

Dorian continues to strengthen in the warm Atlantic waters.

The pressure has dropped to 948 mb and remains a strong Category 4 with winds of 140 mph.

It continues to move to the WNW at 12 mph and it pushing toward the Bahamas.

The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center has nudged the storm a bit more eastward. 

Some models are hinting at a more northward turn as it approaches Florida.

Most of the Florida peninsula remains in the cone. 

10:40 P.M. FRIDAY UPDATE:

Dorian is a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph.

2 P.M. FRIDAY UPDATE: 

As of the 2 p.m. Advisory on Friday, Hurricane Dorian is officially a major Category 3 hurricane with winds of 115 mph.

The hurricane is still tracking to the northwest at 10 mph.

ORIGINAL STORY:

As of the 11 a.m. Advisory Friday, Dorian is a Category 2 hurricane with max wind speeds of 110 mph.

The movement is to the northwest at 10 mph and it should turn more to the west as high pressure builds in from the north and an upper-level low pulls away from the Bahamas.

This setup will help to steer Dorian toward the Bahamas and Florida.

It is expected to become a Category 3 hurricane later today. 

According to the National Hurricane Center, Dorian is forecast to strengthen over the warm Atlantic waters and become a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall in Florida early next week.

The exact landfall location is still not set in stone.

The uncertainty is due to an area of high pressure off the East Coast.

If the high remains strong, Dorian would track into Florida.

If the high weakens, Dorian could turn more northward near the coast of Florida.

Dorian is expected to slow down as it approaches Florida, which will result in prolonged wind, storm surges and flooding.

Tropical storm and even hurricane conditions cannot be ruled out for southwest Florida and for locations inland.

Regardless of the exact track, Dorian will likely become a large, dangerous hurricane.


About the Authors:

Beverly Perry is an Emmy award-winning meteorologist who came to Roanoke in September 2017.

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.