Hurricane Dorian now a powerful Category 3 storm

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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: 625 MI E OF WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS: 115 MPH
MOVEMENT: NW AT 10 MPH

“Dorian is now a major hurricane,” the National Hurricane Center said Friday morning.

Dorian is a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 115 mph and is expected to make landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane early next week, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm is moving northwest at 10 mph. It is 625 miles east of West Palm Beach, Florida.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for Northwestern Bahamas.

On this track, Dorian should move over the Atlantic well east of the southeastern and central Bahamas Thursday night and on Friday, approach the northwestern Bahamas Saturday, and move near or over portions of the northwest Bahamas on Sunday.

Dorian is expected to become a major hurricane on Friday and remain an extremely dangerous hurricane through the weekend.

Swells are likely to begin affecting the east-facing shores of the Bahamas and the southeastern United States coast during the next few days. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

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, open waters of the Atlantic Ocean north of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

It is still not known exactly 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 across the Southeast next week, including in portions of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

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