Hurricane Dorian now expected to be Category 4 at landfall

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Here’s the latest on Hurricane Dorian
As of the 11 a.m. et update from the National Hurricane Center

LOCATION: 370 MILES EAST OF THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS: 85 MPH
MOVEMENT: NW AT 13 MPH

Dorian is a Category one hurricane with sustained winds of 85 mph but is expected to make landfall in Florida as a Category-4 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center says.

The storm is intensifying as it moves northwest at 13 mph. It is 370 miles east of the southeastern Bahamas. On the current forecast track, Dorian will move north over the Bahamas by Saturday before turning toward’s Florida’s east coast.

The storm is expected to strengthen to a category four storm, with winds of at least 130 mph as it nears landfall early next week.

Flooding will be a major concern for Florida. Rainfall rates, combined with storm surge, could result in life-threatening flash floods.

The storm is feeding off the warm, ope waters of the Atlantic Ocean north of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

It is still not known where the storm will make landfall but forecasts believe it will likely be in Florida. The uncertainty, which is commonly portrayed in the forecast track’s “cone of uncertainty,” will shrink as the storm moves closer to shore.

Panovich said everyone living along the Southeast coast should be paying attention. The track could shift.

“Residents in these areas should ensure that they have their hurricane plan in place and not focus on the exact forecast track of Dorian’s center,” according to the National Hurricane Center.

Regardless of where the storm ultimately makes landfall, heavy rain can be expected in acorss the Southeast next week, including in portions of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

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