Live Blog: Hurricane Dorian batters Southeast coast

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hurricane Dorian is a dangerous hurricane moving along the Southeast coastline. This is a live blog from the digital staff at WCNC.com with continuous updates on the storm, its impact, and on-going developments.

Wednesday, September 4

11:13 p.m.

Dorian strengthens back to a Category 3 hurricane as it batters the Southeast U.S. seaboard.

10:02 p.m.

9:18 p.m.

American Red Cross officials say more than 1,500 people have sought refuge from Hurricane Dorian in a total of 28 shelters in the central and eastern portions of South Carolina.

8:08 p.m.

Dorian is moving north-northwest at 8 mph about 130 miles south of Charleston with 110 mph winds.

7:05 p.m.

As of the 7 p.m. update, Dorian is located about 140 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina and about 260 miles South-Southwest of Wilmington, North Carolina.

6:09 p.m.

A Weatherflow site at Folly Beach Pier, just south of Charleston, SC, recently measured sustained winds of 45 mph (72 km/h) and a gust to 56 mph (90 km/h).

5:34 p.m.

“Low tide is still coming at 7:13 PM and the waves are still crashing up over the Battery. At high tide around 1:11 AM no one should be near here with water possibly coming up over the top stones! That would be 9.2 feet plus,” Meteorologist Chris Mulcahy tweeted from Charleston.

4:53 p.m.

Chesterfield County Schools cancel classes and after-school activities for Thursday, September 5 “due to the forecast and in an abundance of caution.”

“We believe that the projections are too near the allowable thresholds set by the State Department of Education for the operation of school buses,” the school says.

4:42 p.m.

A look at flood potential with rain from Dorian based on the current track.

4:28 p.m.

Meteorologist Iisha Scott discusses wind speeds and storm surge along coast of the Carolinas.

4:00 p.m.

Waves picking up at Folly Beach. “Hurricane-force winds expected starting tonight into tomorrow afternoon,” said meteorologist Chris Mulcahy.

3:52 p.m.

Officials with Anson County Schools say classes are canceled for Thursday, September 5 due to possible storm damage from Dorian.

3 p.m.

Ahead of possible rescues and emergency responses during Hurricane Dorian, the United States Coast Guard is preparing. Officials from the USCG in Charleston, South Carolina are providing an insight into their operation.

2 p.m.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and other state officials discuss the state’s preparedness as the first rain bands from Hurricane Dorian arrive along their coastline.

1 p.m.

President Trump addressed Hurricane Dorian during a meeting with reporters at the White House.

12:41 p.m.

Surfside Beach, South Carolina imposes a curfew, effective 8 p.m. Wednesday until further notice. The order also prohibits anyone from entering the ocean.

11:30 a.m.

A North Carolina man died while preparing his home for Hurricane Dorian, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday.

Cooper said the 85-year-old Columbus County man fell from a ladder while getting ready for the storm.

11:00 a.m.

Hurricane warnings are extended northeastward along the North Carolina coast as Hurricane Dorian moves parallel to the coast of Northeastern Florida.

Dorian still has sustained winds of 105 mph. The NHC predicts a slow weakening during the next few days. However, Dorian is expected to remain a powerful hurricane during this time.

Brad Panovich said the new Hurricane track shows Dorian is expected to make landfall in eastern North Carolina early Friday morning.

With tropical storm force wind gusts expected Thursday and Friday, Tropical Storm Warnings extend as far inland as Raleigh in North Carolina, and just outside of Columbia in South Carolina.

9:54 a.m.

The first bands of Hurricane Dorian have reached Charleston. Rain is expected to last throughout the day Wednesday into Thursday.

8 a.m.

Mandatory evacuations take effect along the North Carolina coast. Impacted areas include Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, the Barrier Islands and Wrightsville Beach.

7 a.m.

Chris Mulcahy says the first outer bands of Dorian are moving closer to the shoreline of Georgia and South Carolina. Our crews are dry in Charleston for now but this will change here later this morning with the heaviest rain moving in tonight and tomorrow morning.

5 a.m.

Dorian continues to move toward the Carolinas with 105 mph winds. The National Hurricane Center says it will likely weaken some but will remain a powerful hurricane through the next two days.

2 a.m.

The Florida coast is experiencing tropical storm conditions as Dorian moves north. Dorian still has sustained winds of 110 mph and is moving north-northwest at 7 mph.

Tuesday, September 3

11:15 p.m.

Officials laid out their plans to evacuate all residents and close the bridge behind them at an emergency meeting at Carolina Beach on Tuesday night.

In Charleston, the airport plans to shut down tomorrow afternoon ahead of the storm. All airport operations will be suspended at 3 p.m.

11:00 p.m.

Hurricane Dorian continues moving toward the north-northwest, and a turn toward the north is forecast by Wednesday evening, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast Thursday morning.

The center of Dorian is expected to move near or over the coast of South Carolina and North Carolina Thursday through Friday morning.

10:15 p.m.

President Donald Trump approves North Carolina’s emergency declaration. He announced an emergency exists in the state and ordered federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, local response efforts.

10:00 p.m.

As of the 10 p.m. update, Hurricane Dorian has maximum sustained winds of 110 miles per hour and continues moving northwest at 6 mph. The storm is located about 105 miles east of Melbourne, Florida.

9:15 p.m.

Hurricane Hunters in Dorian are still showing a powerful hurricane, according to Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich, with no signs of additional weakening in the next 24 hours.

9:00 p.m.

As of the 9 p.m. advisory update, Dorian continues to lash the east coast of central Florida. The core of the hurricane is moving nearly parallel to the east coast of central Florida.

8:00 p.m.

Brad Panovich predicts a significant storm surge for the Carolina coasts. As of the 8 p.m. advisory, Dorian was located about 110 miles East of Cape Canaveral in Florida.

7:30 p.m.

Five members of the Charlotte Fire Department are headed to the Carolina coast to help respond to Hurricane Dorian, the Charlotte Fire Department tweeted around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

6:00 p.m.

National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham is providing a behind-the-scenes look at their forecast office in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Dorian remains about 100 miles off the eastern coast of Florida.

5:45 p.m.

Communities were destroyed in the Bahamas by category 5 storm Hurricane Dorian.

Brett Adair / LSM

For the first time since Hurricane Dorian lashed the Bahamas with 200 mph wind gusts, new photos and videos from the islands show the destruction left behind by the then-category 5 storm.

5 p.m.

Hurricane Dorian has increased its speed to 6 mph. The 5 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center updates the track to a potential landfall near state-line between North Carolina and South Carolina.

4:10 p.m.

Dorian is producing tropical-storm-force winds along the Florida east coast, according to the 4 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Dorian is located about 70 miles North of Freeport Grand Bahama Island and about 105 miles East of Fort Pierce, Florida. It has maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, and is moving northwest at 5 mph.

4:00 p.m.

NC Governor Roy Cooper discusses North Carolina’s evacuation plans and storm preparations. Gov. Cooper urges people, even those not currently in evacuation areas, to have an evacuation plan to account for several days.

“I urge residents to take these orders and this storm seriously,” Gov. Cooper said.

3:25 p.m.

The National Weather Service said many locations east of I-77 could be impacted by wind gusts as Hurricane Dorian passes through the east on Thursday. Maximum wind gusts of 30 to 35 mph are expected.

2:45 p.m.

The North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshall, Emergency Management Division has activated the State Emergency Operations Center, calling up statewide mutual aid services in preparation for Hurricane Dorian. Conover’s orders are to send one Engine Company with four firemen and report to the City of Newport Emergency Operations Center by 2:00 pm, Wednesday, September 4th.

2 p.m.

The Storm Surge Warning has been extended northward to South Santee river, South Carolina.

The Storm Surge Watch has been extended northward to Cape Lookout, North Carolina.

A Hurricane Warning has been issued for the coast of South Carolina from north of Edisto Beach to the South Santee River.

A Hurricane Watch has been issued from north of South Santee River to Duck, North Carolina including the Pamlico and Albemarle sounds.

The tropical storm warning has been extended north to Edisto Beach, South Carolina.

1:30 p.m.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has ordered evacuations for barrier islands along the entire coast.

1 p.m.

The eyewall of Hurricane Dorian has finally moved north of Grand Bahama Island, but the National Hurricane Center reports dangerous winds and life-threatening storm surge will continue over that island through Tuesday evening.

12 p.m.

Officials in New Hanover County hold a press briefing on storm preparations.

11:40 a.m.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issues a mandatory evacuation for the coast from the Barrier Islands to Carolina Beach. The mayor of Carolina Beach says they will officially issue the order at 2 p.m. Tuesday and residents have until 8 p.m. Wednesday to leave.

11:00 a.m.

Hurricane Dorian is finally moving northwestward but is growing in size. The National Hurricane Center reports the storm is now a Category 2 with 110 mph.

As of the 11 a.m. advisory, the NHC predicts a slightly faster motion toward the northwest or north-northwest is expected later today and tonight. A turn toward the north is forecast by Wednesday evening, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast Thursday morning.

10:30 a.m.

Businesses and homes at Carolina Beach and Kure Beach on the North Carolina coast begin boarding up windows and doors ahead of Dorian.

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