Hurricane Dorian Approaches Florida

After wreaking havoc upon the Bahamas, Hurricane Dorian now begins to approach the south eastern American state of Florida.

Hurricane Dorian has devastated with roaring storms parts of many islands in the Bahamas, including Grand Bahama, the northernmost island that’s merely 100 miles off the coast of Florida. Homes have been reduced to debris, people have been injured and many lives, claimed, including that of an eight year old boy. Local residents have been left distraught as sights of destruction surround them. Many regions in the Bahamas are expected to receive rainfall cumulatively in excess of 30 inches by the time the storm moves away from the islands.

Given the state of affairs in the islands, local authorities in the Bahamas aren’t able to officially commit to the number of casualties. Venturing outdoors has been deemed unsafe. Power supply is disrupted. Uprooted trees are blocking the way across many streets.

The Bahamian Prime Minister, Hubert Minnis, has categorically described the disaster as “unprecedented and extensive”.

Hurricane Dorian, a category 3 storm with 120 mph air currents, will begin its northward ascent towards Florida after hovering above the Grand Bahama island till late Tuesday morning. The storm is expected to reach Florida between Tuesday and Wednesday evening, brush past the Georgia and South Carolina coasts on Wednesday evening before rolling near or over the North Carolina coast on Thursday.

While Hurricane Dorian does not threaten to make landfall on Florida, it would still have an impact, especially along the coast.

Hurricane Dorian – Forecasted Impact

Over the next two days, power outages, floods and other hazards are expected in Florida owing to wind gusts, torrential rain and storm surges.

Weather experts also expect the storm to spill over inland onto Palm Beach County. Flooding is forecasted for areas with ponds and other such water bodies.

The Nation Braces Itself for Hurricane Dorian

Tropical storm alerts have been rolled out to millions of residents in the states of Florida, Georgia, South and North Carolina. 17 counties across Florida have already been told to evacuate.

A senior citizen fell down three stories and lost his life while trying to protect his home’s windows with plywood in preparation for the storm.

Many residents in Indian River County were reluctant to evacuate which worried local officials as first responders wouldn’t be able to assist if conditions intensified. It’s not easy for the officials to reach the barrier islands. Since the storm’s progress is slow, people might be stranded without help for a long time before Hurricane Dorian passes over and first responders can reach them.

More than 1,000 plane arrivals and departures at Florida have been cancelled.

Evacuation orders have been issued in 12 counties in Georgia as well, where Hurricane Dorian is being perceived as a critical threat due to its slow advance and size.

2,000 Georgia National Guardsmen have already been mobilized to partake in the efforts towards preparing for, responding to and recovering from Hurricane Dorian. Coastal counties in South Carolina have also been issued evacuation orders.