Hurricane Dorian still on track to damage Southeast coast

Dorian not going away

Dorian, still a Category 2 hurricane, spared south Florida from a direct hit. However, Dorian won’t be as nice to areas from northeast Florida to the Outer Banks of North Carolina the rest of the week as it gets dangerously close to the coast. Places like Jacksonville, Savannah, Charleston, Wilmington and Nags Head will likely flood, to varying degrees, due to storm surge. Wind damage is a good bet too, especially for coastal areas of the Carolinas. Dorian also may spin up isolated tornadoes and waterspouts along the Southeastern coast.

As of 11:00 a.m. EDT today, Sept. 4, Dorian is centered 90 miles east-southeast of Daytona Beach, FL, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. It’s been picking up forward speed, moving to the north-northwest at 9 mph. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued hurricane and tropical storm warnings from Sebastian Inlet in Florida to Wilmington and Surf City, NC. The NHC also has posted storm surge warnings for these areas.

Hurricane-force winds of at least 74 mph extend up to 70 miles away from Dorian’s eye, with tropical-storm-force winds of 39 to 73 mph measured up to 175 miles away from the eye. This could put areas from Charleston, SC, to eastern North Carolina at the highest risk for life-threatening conditions. Dorian will likely still be a hurricane when it gets dangerously close to coastal areas of the Caolinas from Thursday into Friday.

Based on the NHC outlook, which is housed inside the FreightWaves SONAR Critical Events platform, the odds of Dorian making a direct landfall in the U.S. are fairly low, except perhaps for the Outer Banks of North Carolina late Friday. But as long the eye stays close to shore or hugs the coastline, extensive damage would result from destructive winds, torrential rainfall and several feet of storm surge.

Several U.S. ports have closed in anticipation of Dorian’s arrival, airports have been shutting down and truckers have been moving relief and recovery supplies into position so they’re ready to help in damaged areas after the storm passes.

This is still a developing situation. Look for updates throughout the rest of the week on the FreightWaves website and social media accounts.

Other disruptive weather today

Elsewhere in the U.S., a cold front may produce severe thunderstorms across the Northeast region. Drivers may be delayed by periods of torrential rainfall, as well as large hail and very gusty winds. This includes the I-95 corridor from Washington, DC, to Maine. Localized flash flooding could lead to roadblocks, especially on secondary roads and interstate ramps.

Have a great day, and be careful out there!