Hurricane Dorian is expected to slam into parts of the northwestern Bahamas on Sunday. The US National Hurricane Center in Miami said Dorian is maintaining top sustained winds of 240 km per hour — just slightly less than the 157 miles per hour wind speed that constitutes a catastrophic Category 5 storm.
Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis warned in a nationally televised briefing that “Hurricane Dorian is a devastating, dangerous storm approaching our islands.”
It is expected to grow even stronger before skirting Florida’s east coast early next week.
A handout photo made available by NASA showing NOAA-NASA’s Suomi NPP satellite visible light image of Hurricane Dorian on 30 August 2019, issued 31 August 2019 as it was just north of Turks and Caicos and heading towards the northwestern Bahamas. EPA-EFE/NASA
States of emergency have been declared in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina. Residents have been urged to stock enough food, water and medicine to last at least a week.
I am monitoring Hurricane Dorian and receiving frequent briefings and updates. It is important to heed the directions of your State and Local Officials. This is an extremely dangerous storm, please prepare and be safe! @FEMA@NWS@NOAA@Readygov@FLSERThttps://t.co/Fee9EB1wQk
Forecasters warn Dorian could be the region’s worst storm since category five Hurricane Andrew killed 65 people and destroyed 63,000 homes in 1992.
A handout graphic released by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows the five-day forecast track of Hurricane Dorian over the Atlantic Ocean (Issued 31 August 2019). EPA-EFE/NOAA / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES
