Hurricane Dorian is a Category 5 storm. It is moving across the Bahamas after it made landfall in the Abaco Islands.
The Category 5 hurricane made landfall in the Bahamas on Sept 1, 2019. The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported that Dorian is the strongest hurricane in eight decades. Reportedly, Dorian hit the Bahamas in Elbow Cay at 12:40 a.m. and again at 2 p.m., ET, on Great Abaco Island.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Dorian can possibly become a “life-threatening situation.”
Dorian is moving northwestward at a speed of 185 mph with gusts over 220 mph. According to the forecast, there is a range of possible landfall sites from Florida to the Carolinas.
It was moving at 7 mph over Great Abaco. The storm is expected to continue near Grand Bahama later Sunday into early Monday, according to weather forecasters. Storm surges of as much as 18 to 23 feet are possible. This would be enough to flood low-lying areas of the islands, and as much as 25 inches of rain could fall on the island before Dorian passes.
Forecasters have stated that by late Monday, early Tuesday, the storm could be close to the Florida coast.
According to the Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, The Abaco Islands have taken on severe damage from Hurricane Dorian. There is a multitude of reports of destroyed homes and roofs blown off. As soon as the storm passes from the islands, the fire department will be assessing the damage.
The department posted on social media, “Now is not a time to panic now is the time to plan how to get the recovery started. Hope Town Fire and Rescue will be heading up the efforts for recovery.”
The Abaco Islands are a group of islands and barrier cays in the northern Bahamas, east of southern Florida.
By Jeanette Smith
Sources:
The Hill: Hurricane Dorian makes landfall in the Bahamas
CNN: Hurricane Dorian descends on US: Live updates
The New York Times: Hurricane Dorian Updates: A ‘Catastrophic’ Category 5 Storm With Ferocious Winds
Image Courtesy of ashokboghani’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
