Hurricane Dorian Lashes the Carolinas with Storm-Surge Flooding, Tornadoes
Hurricane Dorian has been downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane after it had a regained strength overnight as it buffets the United States’ East Coast.
The long-awaited hurricane has now made landfall and is “lashing” both South and North Carolina, Georgia and parts of Florida with “storm surge flooding, rainfall flooding, high winds and tornadoes,” according to The Weather Channel.
Peak damages are not, however, expected to come into play until late Thursday and early Friday, as Dorian presses farther north. Those damages will reportedly impact the North Carolina and Virginia shoreline most.
Yet another indication of #Dorian intensifying this evening, the low-level water vapor channel is showing significant warming of the #eye & eyewall convection surrounding it is cooling. Not surprisingly ADT estimates have risen to between T5.5 to T6.0 (i.e., 105-110kt). pic.twitter.com/yrcccKPA6L
— Philippe Papin (@pppapin) September 5, 2019
And Dorian’s reach is not expected to be confined to the southeastern United States.
Sections of southern Massachusetts and even Atlantic Canada have been placed on tropical storm watch through the end of this week, The Weather Channel reported.
As of Wednesday, several large tornadoes have been spotted in the Carolinas doing substantial damage to local communities. Increased flooding has also resulted in mass street closures in metropolitan areas like Charleston, South Carolina.
SO SCARY! A tornado was spotted this morning from North Myrtle Beach in South Carolina as one of the outer bands of Hurricane Dorian came ashore. DETAILS: https://t.co/fXM7UtWSlM (?: Wayne White via Storyful) pic.twitter.com/neZrqQfYpi
— FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) September 5, 2019
This massive resurgence from Hurricane Dorian Wednesday night shocked the scientific community.
Making the first landfall in the Bahamas as a Category 5, Dorian lost a dramatic amount of strength early this week, downgrading three times.
But a large drop in pressure at Dorian’s eye began in the early afternoon Wednesday and by 11 p.m., sustained winds of 115 miles per hour were reported, bringing the National Hurricane Center to raise the hurricane’s threat level once more, Weather Underground reported.
And according to The Weather Channel, hurricane-force winds from the storm stretch as many as 60 miles out from Dorian’s eye in any direction. Tropical-storm-force winds have been reported as carrying as far as 195 miles from the storm’s eye.
Aerial footage shows catastrophic devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas’ Marsh Harbour and Great Abaco Island, as the storm flooded neighborhoods, flattened buildings and scattered boats. https://t.co/iAkS1v0FOp pic.twitter.com/K19qZHzhBS
— ABC News (@ABC) September 4, 2019
Aerials over the Bahamas’ Abaco Islands showed flooded neighborhoods, pulverized buildings, upturned boats and shipping containers scattered like toys. More photos of the devastation after Hurricane Dorian: https://t.co/BvPW737nNY ? Michelle Cove/Trans Island Airways pic.twitter.com/698aoTOWZz
— Reuters Pictures (@reuterspictures) September 4, 2019
Weather forecasters and climate scientists say an increase in size after losing so much steam is incredibly uncharacteristic of these high-magnitude storms, and several Democratic politicians have already chalked this abnormality up to climate change.
The storm became deadly over the Bahamas, killing 20. The first reported victim was a young boy.
Early estimates have not been revealed as to the extent of the damage Dorian dealt while over the Bahamas, but video on the ground shows the storm’s effects to have been extensive. Some even referred to the damages as “apocalyptic.”
Acting FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor and Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida issued several statements earlier this week warning families to “take this storm seriously” and “take the time to prepare,” according to Fox News.
“If you think there’s any chance you’ll have to evacuate, do it now,” Scott warned Floridians.
“You can rebuild your house, but you can’t rebuild your family.”
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