Roommates, please check in on your friends and family in the Bahamas. This morning, Hurricane Dorian strengthened to a Category 5, making it the strongest storm on the planet this year as it heads northwest in the Atlantic to the Bahamas.
It is expected to make catastrophic landfall sometime today, according to CNN. Dorian continues to intensify and the maximum winds are now up to 175 mph. “The eyewall of catastrophic Hurricane Dorian is currently reaching the Abaco islands,” the National Hurricane Center said in a special update this morning. “This is a life-threatening situation.”
By Monday, the northwestern Bahamas is expected to experience 12 to 24 inches of rain, with isolated amounts of 30 inches. And Florida is not completely in the clear either.
Dorian will creep toward Florida’s east coast where landfall is still a distinct possibility as some forecast models have shifted west again.
Yesterday, we reported that Dorian was at a category 4 and expected to make landfall in the Carolinas by Wednesday. Forecast models predict that the storm will continue to produce hurricane-force winds as it heads north.
There is an increasing risk of strong winds and dangerous storm surge along the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Flooding rainfall is expected from southern Florida into Georgia.
While Bahamians have already been urged to evacuate, experts are now warning residents to prepare for the worst.
“This is the time that the Bahamas (is) really going to have do some significant soul searching, whether you want to protect your valuables or protect yourself because this will be a life-threatening storm in the Bahamas,” CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers said.
Hundreds of people failed to evacuate the Bahamas, according to reports, especially on its low lying islands known as cays.
We continue to pray for the safety of those who are in harm’s way and we promise to keep you posted on any updates.
