Hurricane Dorian NC: Tropical Storm Warning extended into Wake County as storm tracks up North Carolina coast

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Hurricane Dorian continues to track north up the East Coast, eyeing Thursday as the day to hit North Carolina.

RELATED: How does Hurricane Dorian compare to Florence and Matthew

The National Hurricane Center’s 11 a.m. update showed the hurricane is located about 100 miles east of St. Augustine, Florida–which is about 50 miles north of Daytona Beach, Florida. Maximum sustained winds are being clocked at 105 mph with gusts up to 125 mph.

The storm is finally picking up speed. It sat stationary over the Bahamas for several hours, but it is now moving north northwest at 9 mph, and the National Hurricane Center says it will continue to pick up speed.

That’s a good thing for North Carolina. It means the storm will be moving quickly by the time it gets to our shore.

Dorian’s eye is expected to push north, parallel with the Georgia coast by Thursday morning. Throughout the day Thursday, the storm will move off the coast of South Carolina.

All day Thursday, areas in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina will receive rain and wind from the storm.

By Friday morning, the eye of Dorian will likely be near Wilmington, North Carolina, and the storm will have weakened to Category 1 classification.

Dorian really picks up speed Friday, pushing through the North Carolina coast. It is expected to be well off to sea by Saturday morning.

Depending on the ultimate path of the storm, people in North Carolina could see between 1-10 inches of rain.

The National Hurricane Center extended a Tropical Storm Warning into Wake County and surrounding areas. Hurricane Warnings and Flash Flood Warnings are also active for much of central and eastern North Carolina Click here for the full list of weather advisories.

Power outages are likely from Hurricane Dorian–although the extent of the outages are not yet known. Still, utility crews from Oklahoma are on their way to Raleigh to help.

The crews said they received help last week when they were struggling with outages, so they wanted to repay the good deed.

Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday there will be a mandatory evacuation of all vulnerable coastal areas and says two large shelters will be organized in the Triangle to help those displaced by Hurricane Dorian.

WATCH: Wilmington area braces for Hurricane Dorian

NHC said the risk of life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force wind continues to increase along the coast of North Carolina.

Dorian is expected to continue moving Tuesday and will pick up speed into Wednesday and Thursday–moving up the East Coast from Florida to Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

WATCH: Wrightsville Beach keeps an eye on Dorian

MORE: Here’s what you actually need to prepare for Hurricane Dorian
MORE: North Carolina animal shelters taking in pets, livestock ahead of storm

Even weakened, the storm could bring heavy rain and strong wind to coastal regions all along the East Coast of the United States.

Coastal flooding and beach erosion is likely in North Carolina. The state could see between an inch and six inches of rain, depending on the ultimate track of the storm.
PREPARE FOR THE STORM
What to know about generators before a power outage
What happens to your home in hurricane-force winds?
Foods to stock up on before a storm hits

Copyright © 2019 ABC11-WTVD-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved – The Associated Press contributed to this report.