The National Hurricane Center (NHC) released another update on Hurricane Dorian, which has been downgraded to a Category 4 storm but continues to pose a major risk — packing life-threatening flash floods and hurricane-force winds — to the coasts of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
The NHC released the latest track at 11 a.m. ET, which did not show major changes but kept the U.S. east coast within the cone of uncertainty:
While the storm has been downgraded to a Category 4, it is still packing 155 mph winds and 190 mph wind gusts. It continues to batter the Bahamas, moving west at only one mph and bringing a storm surge of over 20 feet in some areas:
“Life-threatening storm surge and dangerous hurricane-force winds are expected along portions of the Florida east coast and Georgia coast, regardless of the exact track of Doran’s center,” the NHC reported.
“Water levels could begin to rise well in advance of the arrival of strong winds,” it warned.
“The risk of life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds continues to increase along the coasts of South Carolina and North Carolina,” it added.
As the Weather Channel reported, the monster storm has undergone an eyewall replacement, explaining the slight weakening in intensity. However, the process causes the wind field to expand, resulting in a physically larger storm.
The NHC expanded the storm surge warning and watches further up Florida’s east coast, and the risk of life-threatening flash floods continues to increase:
Evacuation orders have been issued for at-risk areas in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina:
According to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), 17,000 Florida Power & Light (FPL) employees and workers are ready to respond to whatever Dorian brings to the Sunshine State: