At 8:00 a.m. Monday morning, Dorian was located about 120 miles (190 kilometers) East of West Palm Beach, Florida, moving toward the west at close to 1 mph (2 kph). The catastrophic storm is very close to the Florida peninsula.
Monday is the critical day that is likely to determine whether the state is dealt a powerful blow or a less intense scrape. A slow westward to west-northwestward motion is forecast during the next day or so, followed by a gradual turn toward the northwest and north.
The National Hurricane Center emphasizes that it will only take a change of a small wobble and a distance of just tens of miles to make a difference as to what will eventually happen. Right now – the storm remains at a near standstill over Grand Bahama Island.
“Only a slight deviation to the left of the official forecast would bring the core of Dorian near or over the Florida east coast,” the National Hurricane Center wrote.
Heart sinking…praying they're ok. #Dorian September 2, 2019
Maximum sustained winds are near 165 mph (270 kph) with higher gusts. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km) from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km). The estimated minimum central pressure is 916 mb (27.05 inches).
Hurricane and storm surge warnings are in effect for the Grand Bahama and the Abacos Islands in the northwestern Bahamas to Jupiter Inlet to the Volusia/Brevard County Line in Florida.
“Although it remains uncertain just how close the eye of Dorian will get to the Florida east coast, the threat of damaging winds and life-threatening storm surge remains high,” the National Weather Service office in Melbourne, Fla., wrote. “There will be considerable impacts and damage to coastal areas, with at least some effects felt inland as well!”
Walk through storm-hit Elbow Cay shows extent of destruction in Hope Town as Hurricane Dorian lashes the Bahamas. pic.twitter.com/WSNORsZu4o
— ABC News (@ABC) September 2, 2019
“It is anticipated that the system will remain a dangerous major hurricane for the next several days,” the Hurricane Center wrote, according to the Washington Post.
