Hurricane Dorian strikes the Bahamas as a historic Cat 5 hurricane then skirts Florida and may strike the Carolinas

[raisedbywolves]

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane...hamas-forecast

Dorian is now a Category 3 major hurricane moving through the western Atlantic Ocean.A hurricane watch has been issued for the northwestern Bahamas.Dorian will threaten parts of the Bahamas and the southeastern U.S. over Labor Day weekend.The most likely scenario is a track near the Florida Peninsula late in the weekend, but exact details will change.Residents from the northern Gulf Coast to Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas should monitor forecasts closely.

Uncertainty continues to be high when it comes to exact forecast impacts in the southeastern U.S. However, all interests in the Bahamas, the northern Gulf Coast, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas should have their hurricane plans ready and monitor the forecast of Dorian closely.
High pressure aloft will steer Dorian westward toward Florida this weekend. A turn to the north is then expected as the western periphery of the high is eroded by a disturbance moving through the eastern United States. Where that northerly turn occurs is uncertain.

Among the myriad track possibilities are a track farther north toward the southeastern Georgia coast and the Carolinas or one slicing across the Florida Peninsula, then emerging into the Gulf of Mexico and potentially threatening parts of the northern Gulf Coast next week.

The uncertainty in Dorian's exact track is mainly related to an area of high pressure off the East Coast. If high pressure remains relatively strong over the Southeast, then Dorian would track straight into Florida. But if the western periphery of the high is significantly eroded by a subtle disturbance moving through the eastern United States, then Dorian could turn more northward near the coast of Florida.

Regardless of its exact track, Dorian is likely to be a dangerous hurricane ? potentially a Category 4 ? when it approaches Florida later this weekend or early next week.

Dorian's Storm Surge, Wind and Rain Impacts

In the northwestern Bahamas, the risk of life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds (74-plus mph) this weekend continues to increase. Rainfall totals of 6 to 12 inches are expected, with isolated amounts up to 18 inches, which may cause flash flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center. The central Bahamas can expect 1 to 2 inches, with isolated totals up to 4 inches.

Storm surge may cause water levels to be as much as 10 to 15 feet above normal tide level in areas of onshore winds in the northwestern Bahamas. Near the coast, that storm surge will be accompanied by large, destructive waves.

It's too early to know the exact magnitude and location of any impacts from damaging winds, storm surge or flooding rainfall at this time in Florida and the rest of the Southeast. However, there is an increasing likelihood of a prolonged period of hazardous weather conditions that could last a couple of days in parts of Florida early next week.

"The biggest concern will be Dorian's slow motion when it is near Florida, placing some areas of the state at an increasing risk of a prolonged, drawn-out event of strong winds, dangerous storm surge and heavy rainfall," the National Hurricane Center said early Friday.

[Angiebla]

I hope all of our Florida mds peeps stay safe! I would be shitting myself if I were you.

[raisedbywolves]

I hope all of our Florida mds peeps stay safe! I would be shitting myself if I were you.

The latest forecast is looking better for us...not so good for the Carolinas. The waiting and anxiety that come with it is what is so hard. It gives us time to prepare, but it would almost be better if it just happened quickly and got over with.

[curiouscat]

Go East, Go East! I really hope we won't have to do a mandatory evacuation. I have to work in St. Augustine on Friday and I really don't want the hurricane to mess up my money making.

[raisedbywolves]

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...icane-n1048731

Hurricane Dorian's almost 185-mph sustained winds are bringing "catastrophic conditions" to the Abaco Islands, the National Hurricane Center said, and forecasters predict the Category 5 storm will remain over the Bahamas into Monday.

It made landfall on the southern end of Elbow Cay, which runs along the east coast of Great Abaco, early Sunday afternoon. With gusts over 200 mph, Dorian has become "the strongest hurricane in modern records for the northwestern Bahamas," the center said.

The storm is growing, meteorologists said, with hurricane-force winds now extending 45 miles from its eye.

"This is a life-threatening situation. Residents there should take immediate shelter," the center said Sunday morning.

As of 11 a.m. ET, the storm was about 205 miles east of West Palm Beach, Florida. Already, mandatory evacuations have been ordered for residents living in mobile homes or in low-lying areas in Palm Beach, Martin and Brevard counties, officials said. The Palm Beach and Martin county evacuations will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday, and the Brevard County evacuations are set to start Monday morning.

Hurricane and storm surge watches have been issued for Florida's east coast, from Deerfield Beach to the Brevard-Volusia County line, where the water could reach up to 7 feet, forecasters say.

Some models have Hurricane Dorian skirting up the East Coast.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...icane-n1048731

Dorian on Sunday strengthened to a "catastrophic" Category 5 storm as it closed in on the Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center said. Michael Lowry, a strategic planner with FEMA, tweeted the storm was now one of the seven strongest ever recorded, dating back to the 1850s. Forecasters said the storm was expected to get close to Florida, but make landfall in Georgia and the Carolinas.


Speaking to reporters outside of Marine One on Sunday, Trump said the storm "appears to be bigger than we’ve ever seen.

"That’s the problem," Trump said. "We don’t know where it’s going to hit, seems to be going to Florida, now it should be going to Georgia, the Carolinas. Alabama to get a bit of a beat down. You’ll be learning more probably over the course of the next 24 hours."

It was unclear why Trump referenced Alabama, which is not in the hurricane's projected path. The National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama, tweeted Sunday morning: "Alabama will NOT see any impacts from #Dorian."

"We repeat, no impacts from Hurricane #Dorian will be felt across Alabama," the NWS added. "The system will remain too far east."

Speaking at the FEMA headquarters later on Sunday, Trump urged "everyone in Hurricane Dorian's path to heed all warnings and evacuation orders from local authorities" as the storm picks up strength.

"We don't even know what's coming at us," he said. "I'm not sure that I've ever even heard of a Category 5, I knew it existed. And I've seen some Category 4s but you don't even see them that much. But a Category 5 is something that I don't even know that I've heard the term other than I know it's there."

Dorian is the fourth Category 5 storm to hit the Atlantic during Trump's presidency, after Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 and Michael in 2018.

Speaking with CBS's "Face the Nation," former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas and a 2020 Democratic presidential contender, said he was "really disappointed" that Trump "proposed taking money from FEMA in the middle of hurricane season for walls or cages or militarization of the border that we do not need."

"As president I would fully fund FEMA," he said. "I would invest in the resiliency of communities in Florida and Georgia, the Carolinas, and Puerto Rico to make sure that they're ready for the next storm because the scientists have told (us) these storms are only going to become more frequent, more devastating, and more deadly as the climate continues to change."

On "Fox News Sunday," Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., suggested a correlation between climate change and stronger hurricanes.

"Well, first off we know climate is changing and then we know our storms seem to be getting bigger," Scott said, adding, "We don't know what the cause is but we've got to react to it."

[raisedbywolves]

Sure hoping that turn to the north happens soon.

[Music]

It's stationary.

Poor Bahamas...

Husband and I were supposed to go to Charleston to find a new apartment, since we're moving there. Not this week.

[raisedbywolves]

The Bahamas are getting wiped out.

https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...9d&oe=5E1197C3

CBC News has interviewed a Freeport resident, Kimberley Mullings, who says that conditions are intense, she describes her garage as “dancing” and says if she were to open her window the roof of her home would be ripped off.

In an emotional interview, Mullings says they haven’t been able to get to family and don’t know where her nephews are.

She said several shelters have been compromised, including the special needs shelter, which was compromised and people were moved to the hospital on the island, which has itself experienced flooding.

She said there are people on jetskis trying to reach people to save them, including people trapped on and inside the roofs of their houses, with water that has risen up through the properties.

She says she’s experienced hurricanes in the Bahamas for 20 years, but says: “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The prime minister of the Bahamas has posted an update on Twitter, reiterating what he said at his media briefing, that so far there have been five confirmed deaths in Abaco and that the hurricane. which is expected to continue to batter Grand Bahama Island for “many more hours” is a “historic tragedy”.

“We know that there are a number of people in serious distress. We pray for their safety and will provide relief and assistance as soon as possible,” he said.

Dr Hubert Minnis (@minnis_dr)

1/2 Today at my national briefing I was deeply saddened to report that thus far there have been 5 confirmed deaths in Abaco as the result of #HurricaneDorain. We are in the midst of a historic tragedy in parts of the northern Bahamas. pic.twitter.com/Yj1nn9Fbr4
September 3, 2019

Dr Hubert Minnis (@minnis_dr)

2/2 Dorian is still battering Grand Bahama Island and will continue for many more hours. We know that there are a number of people in serious distress. We pray for their safety and will provide relief and assistance as soon as possible.
September 3, 2019

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41m ago 21:06

The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Centre, published in the past few minutes, has advised residents on Grand Bahama Island to stay inside as they are currently experiencing the “eyewall” of Dorian.

It says described conditions as “extremely dangerous” with hazards including winds of up to 165mph (265 km/h) and storm surges of 12-18 feet above normal tide levels with higher destructive waves of3.5-5.5 metres.

It also said residents of the Abaco Islands should continue to stay in shelters.

[Music]

The Bahamas are getting wiped out.

I've been stuck to the weather channel for the last few days. It's so horrible. It looks like it's starting to weaken, although it's still very strong. We were hoping it would just take a hard turn. But, of course it didn't.

[raisedbywolves]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/trave...ns/2195968001/

Disney Cruises responds amid backlash for leaving 'some of our crew' in Bahamas for hurricane

Disney Cruise Line has weighed in after the company opted to leave some crew members in the Bahamas as Hurricane Dorian approached.

The cruise line posted a message on its website about its staff that remained on its private island, Castaway Cay, after a tweet went viral from a woman who said her sister was "stuck in the middle" of the hurricane.

"Remember that time (Disney Cruises) left 97 employees on a tiny island in a Catagory (sic) 5 hurricane? I do," user Meg Green wrote in a since-deleted pair of posts, according to the Miami Herald and The Sun.

The tweet spurred reactions from other users, who admonished the company.

"How could you leave 97 crew members on Castaway Cay, a flat tiny island only 5 ft above sea level, when you had 72 hours notice of the danger?" one user wrote. "None of the families have heard a thing. Corporate greed at its worst."

Disney Cruise Line posted an update about the situation on its website on Monday.

"Many of our guests have asked questions about Castaway Cay," stated an advisory message on Disney Cruise Line's website. "Some of our crew remained on the island and their care and safety is our highest priority. As forecasted, sustained winds on the island did not extend beyond tropical force strength and our crew has returned to their living quarters after spending a few hours in our storm shelter yesterday. Our thoughts continue to be with the people in areas of The Bahamas that are being impacted by this storm and we stand ready to contribute to recovery efforts."

[raisedbywolves]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...id=mailsignout

President Donald Trump may have broken federal law by altering a map from the National Hurricane Center to lend credence to his false claim over the weekend that Alabama was in the path of Hurricane Dorian.

While giving an update on the storm, Trump asked a staffer to hold up a map, which was an outdated version of the hurricane's original path. The storm's trajectory was outlined in white and encompassed most of Florida and part of Georgia, as well as the surrounding water.

"Our original chart was that it was going to be hitting Florida directly," Trump said. "It was going to be hitting directly and that would've affected a lot of other states."

But the map had been altered: a semi-circle of black ink extended the farthest reaches of Hurricane Dorian's impact cone beyond Florida and into Alabama.

The National Hurricane Center did not include Alabama in its forecast, and some observers pointed out on Wednesday that Trump's altered map may have violated the law.

"Whoever knowingly issues or publishes any counterfeit weather forecast or warning of weather conditions falsely representing such forecast or warning to have been issued or published by the Weather Bureau, United States Signal Service, or other branch of the Government service, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ninety days, or both," the statute reads.

It's unclear if anyone has been prosecuted under this law in the past.

Trump first falsely suggested Alabama was in the hurricane's path over the weekend, tweeting, "In addition to Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, will most likely be hit (much) harder than anticipated."

The NHC rebuked the president minutes later, tweeting, "Alabama will NOT see any impacts from Dorian. We repeat, no impacts from Hurricane Dorian will be felt across Alabama. The system will remain too far east."

But Trump refused to back down from his claim, attacking ABC News' White House correspondent, Jonathan Karl, who reported Sunday that Trump had "misstated the storm's possible trajectory."

"I suggested yesterday at FEMA that, along with Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, even Alabama could possibly come into play, which WAS true," the president tweeted on Monday.

"They made a big deal about this when in fact, under certain original scenarios, it was in fact correct that Alabama could have received some 'hurt.' Always good to be prepared! But the Fake News is only interested in demeaning and belittling. Didn't play my whole sentence or statement. Bad people!"

[Music]

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...ne-dorian.html

Before and After pics at the link.

[raisedbywolves]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/06/us/hu...day/index.html

Officials in the Bahamas brought in more body bags and coolers as the death toll from Hurricane Dorian rose to 30 and hundreds remain missing.
The number of fatalities is expected to climb as the extent of the damage becomes clear.

"Literally hundreds, up to thousands, of people are still missing," said Joy Jibrilu, director general of the country's tourism and aviation ministry.
Body bags, additional morticians and refrigerated coolers to store bodies are being transported to Abaco and other affected areas, Health Minister Dr. Duane Sands told Guardian Radio 96.9 FM. Four morticians in Abaco are embalming remains because officials have run out of coolers, he said.

"The public needs to prepare for unimaginable information about the death toll and the human suffering," Sands said.

"Make no bones about it, the numbers will be far higher," he said. "It is going to be significantly higher than that. And it's just a matter of retrieving those bodies, making sure we understand how they died. It seems like we are splitting hairs, but not everyone who died, died in the storm."

Even with the grim update, there was some good news amid the desperate search for survivors.

The US Coast Guard said it had rescued 201 residents as of Thursday. Rescues have concentrated on Bahamas' northern islands as international teams sent small planes and helicopters to reach those stranded and feed the displaced.

"Our emergent priority is to get the critically wounded out and help the government of the Bahamas get the infrastructure back up so it's safe, sanitary and livable -- at least on a temporary basis -- for those folks," said Capt. James Passarelli of the US Coast Guard.

A British naval vessel has joined the effort, distributing food and water, and clearing streets of debris, Bahamian Minister of National Security Marvin Dames said.

[raisedbywolves]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/07/world...rnd/index.html

Jet skiers saved 100 people trapped in flooded homes in the Bahamas

The dozen jet skiers ferried rescued people to the Casuarina Bridge, the closest dry spot. Together they saved about 100 people on Tuesday, according to the rescuers and Pintard.

Thankfully, other residents, volunteers and government workers came together to provide more fuel, water and other supplies. The dozens of others helped pull people to safety, while others worked to get people to higher ground.

Strong winds, choppy waters and debris made the rescue missions difficult.

Grass and debris clogged the intakes of the water scooters. And after two days of missions, they were running low on gas.

"The water conditions were so high, so we didn't know if we were riding over water or land. I was pretty much driving my jet ski into peoples' living rooms to rescue them," said Burrows, one of the rescuers.

Pintard estimated about 150 people were saved on the island on Tuesday, many who were saved on the jet skis and the others by other means.

[raisedbywolves]

https://miami.cbslocal.com/2019/09/1...-after-dorian/

Bahamians in the most affected areas hit by Hurricane Dorian keep searching amid alarming reports that 1,300 people remain listed as missing nearly two weeks after Hurricane Dorian hit the northern Bahamas.

The government, which has put the official death toll at 50, has cautioned that the list is preliminary and many could be staying in shelters and just haven’t been able to connect with loved ones.

But fears are growing that many more died when the Category 5 storm slammed into the archipelago’s northern region with winds in excess of 185 mph and severe flooding that toppled concrete walls and cracked trees in half as Dorian battered the area for a day and a half.

“If they were staying with me, they would’ve been safe,” Phil Thomas Sr. said as he leaned against the frame of his roofless home in the fishing village of McLean’s Town and looked into the distance.

The boat captain has not seen his 30-year-old son, his two grandsons or his granddaughter since the storm. They were all staying with his daughter-in-law, who was injured and taken to a hospital in the capital, Nassau, after the U.S. Coast Guard found her — but only her.

“People have been looking, but we don’t really come up with anything,” Thomas said, adding that he’s heard rumors that someone saw a boat belonging to his son, a marine pilot, though the vessel also hasn’t been found.

He especially misses his 8-year-old grandson: “He was my fishing partner. We were close.”

The loss weighs on Thomas, who said he tries to stay busy cleaning up his home so he doesn’t think about them.

“It’s one of those things. I’m heartbroken, but life goes on,” he said. “You pick up the pieces bit by bit. … I’ve got to rebuild a house. I’ve got three more kids. I’ve got to live for them until my time comes.”

Meanwhile, a newly formed tropical depression headed toward the Bahamas and was expected to further drench the communities bashed by Dorian. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the system could become a tropical storm by Saturday and hit the central and northwestern Bahamas with winds and heavy rains before moving along the east coast of Florida.

“The disturbance will more than likely take a very similar path to Dorian,” chief meteorologist Shavonne Moxey-Bonamy said.

Kwasi Thompson, minister of state for Grand Bahama, warned that system will affect the entire island and urged people to seek shelter. “As previous storms have taught us, things change very quickly,” he said. “We want residents to take it seriously.”

The approaching storm was slowing down efforts to bring in aid, and food and water remained the biggest needs in the hard-hit Abaco islands, where officials temporarily suspended flights in anticipation of the storm, a spokesman for the islands’ National Emergency Management Agency said.

[Angiebla]

God does not like the Bahamas

[raisedbywolves]

https://weather.com/news/news/2019-0...ple-rebuilding

Nearly four weeks after Hurricane Dorian battered the northwestern Bahamas, the nation's prime minister said Friday that the death toll has risen again.

During a speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said 56 deaths have been confirmed in the wake of the storm, with 600 people still missing. He called the storm, which made multiple landfalls in the Bahamas on Sept. 1 and 2, "a generational tragedy" for the nation, according to the Associated Press.

The long-term impacts of Dorian are still uncertain in the Abaco and Grand Bahama islands. Many building blocks of everyday life – schools, hospitals, gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants – are gone or badly damaged. If they survived the storm, many are still without power or water.

"After this, I really don't think the Bahamas will be the same," Sean Russell, a teacher and resident of East Grand Bahama who lost his home to Dorian, told CNN.com. "It will not be the same."

Last week, Russell packed all his remaining belongings into a small overnight bag and boarded a ship bound for Florida.

"I don't know what the plan is. But I'm just going by faith," he said. "We're starting all over again, because I lost everything."

An estimated 4,000 Dorian survivors have sought refuge in Florida. Hundreds of residents still remain missing or unaccounted for.

The number of missing had held steady at more than 1,300 since Sept. 12, but that number was lowered to 600 on Tuesday, according to an update from the Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency. Some 2,500 people were originally listed as missing when the government announced its first list about two weeks ago.

Dorian, which struck the northwestern Bahamas on Sept. 1, was a hurricane like no other for the region. The storm's sustained winds of 185 mph battered the northwestern Bahamas for nearly two days. Relief efforts are ramping up, but the scope of the cleanup is beyond anything the Bahamas, with a population of less than 400,000 people, has ever faced. The country's environmental and health ministry says there is 1.5 billion pounds of debris to clear in the community of Marsh Harbour alone.