A Hurricane Warning continues for Grand Bahama and the Abacos Islands in the northwestern Bahamas, and on Florida’s east coast from Jupiter Inlet to the Volusia/Brevard County Line. A Hurricane Watch continues from north of Deerfield Beach to Jupiter Inlet and from the Volusia/Brevard County Line to the Mouth of the St. Mary’s River. A Tropical Storm Warning continues from north of Deerfield Beach to Jupiter Inlet. A Tropical Storm Watch continues from north of Golden Beach to Deerfield Beach, and for Lake Okeechobee
A Storm Surge Warning continues from Lantana to the Volusia/Brevard County Line. A Storm Surge Watch continues from north of Deerfield Beach to south of Lantana and from the Volusia/Brevard County Line to the Mouth of the St. Mary’s River.
Catastrophic hurricane conditions continue on Grand Bahama Island. Do not venture out into the eye, as winds will suddenly increase after the eye passes. Hurricane conditions are expected within the Hurricane Warning area in Florida by late tonight or Tuesday. Hurricane conditions are possible in the Hurricane Watch area on Wednesday. Tropical storm conditions are expected within the Tropical Storm warning area today and Tuesday, and are possible in the Tropical
Storm watch area by tonight.
Hurricane Dorian is centered as of 8 a.m. EDT about 35 miles (50 km) east of Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, and about 120 miles (190 km) east of West Palm Beach, Florida. Dorian is moving toward the west near 1 mph (2 km/h). A slow westward to west-northwestward motion is forecast during the next day or so, followed by a gradual turn toward the northwest and north. On this track, the core of extremely dangerous Hurricane Dorian will continue to pound Grand Bahama Island through much of today and tonight. The hurricane will move dangerously close to the Florida east coast tonight through Wednesday evening.
Maximum sustained winds are near 165 mph (270 km/h) with higher gusts. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km) from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km). The estimated minimum central pressure is 916 mb (27.05 inches). Dorian is a category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Although gradual weakening is forecast, Dorian is expected to remain a powerful hurricane during the next couple of days.
A life-threatening storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 18 to 23 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds on Grand Bahama Island. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Water levels should very slowly subside on the Abaco Islands during the day.
The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the Florida east coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide…
Lantana to the Mouth of the St. Mary’s River…4 to 7 ft
North of Deerfield Beach to Lantana…2 to 4 ft
For information specific to your area, please see products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast
office – www.weather.gov
Dorian is expected to produce the following rainfall
totals through late this week.
Northwest Bahamas…12 to 24 inches, isolated 30 inches.
Coastal Carolinas…5 to 10 inches, isolated 15 inches.
Central Bahamas and the Atlantic Coast from the Florida peninsula through Georgia…2 to 4 inches, isolated 6 inches.
This rainfall may cause life-threatening flash floods.
The next complete advisory will be issued by NHC at 11 a.m. EDT –www.hurricanes.gov