Via The New York Times: Hurricane Dorian Updates: Storm Strengthens to Category 5. Excerpt:
Storm reaches ‘catastrophic’ strength with 160 m.p.h. winds
As Hurricane Dorian drew near to the Abaco Islands in the northwestern Bahamas early Sunday morning, the National Hurricane Center said in a bulletin that the maximum sustained winds around the eye of the storm had reached 160- miles an hour, making it a “catastrophic” storm with “devastating winds.”
It is moving westward fairly slowly — 8 miles an hour — and would soon be moving over Great Abaco, and then continue near or over Grand Bahama later Sunday or early Monday, forecasters said. Storm surge as much of 15 to 20 feet was possible, enough to swamp many low-lying areas of the islands, and that as much as 25 inches of rain could fall before the storm passes.
The storm is expected to turn northward, raking the coast
Forecasters expect the storm to creep nearer to the coast of Florida through Monday and then swing northward, paralleling the mainland coast. Though it may not make landfall all week if it follows that track, its strong winds and heavy rains, storm surge and punishing surf could still have the potential to do major damage in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.
The National Hurricane Center posted a tropical storm watch on Sunday for the Florida coast from Deerfield Beach to Sebastien Inlet, meaning that storm-force winds are expected there within 36 hours. “Heavy rains, capable of producing life-threatening flash floods, are possible,” the center said.
People are vacationing at Disney World despite storm warnings.
Families arrived in Orlando this weekend carrying Disney-themed suitcases, wearing Mickey Mouse ears and closely monitoring Hurricane Dorian’s path as they plowed ahead with long-planned vacations to Walt Disney World.
The theme park complex is mostly operating normally, though its Blizzard Beach Water Park was closed as a precaution on Sunday.
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