x
Breaking News
More () »

Hurricane Dorian right now | Latest updates on the deadly storm

Get the latest information on Hurricane Dorian from 11Alive Stormtrackers as the storm moves.

Track updates, evacuation orders, shelter locations, closures, personal stories and more to help you keep up to date on what's happening with Hurricane Dorian.

This is your stop for the latest on how Hurricane Dorian is affecting people and plans throughout the southeast. We'll be sharing images and information from our crews in the field, plus government agencies, hospital, schools and more. We'll also put new weather alerts, watches and warnings in this blog.

Bookmark this page to come back for updates and download the new 11Alive News App + sign up for alerts to get new information directly to your phone. 

Have a news tip? Email news@11alive.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Live Updates

11:00 AM | Hurricane Dorian is speeding up after making landfall earlier this morning. The Category 1 storm is moving at 17 mph over the outer banks as the heavy rain brings flash flood warnings for several counties in NC.

Credit: WXIA
Friday 11a

10:50 AM | Winds pick up as the eye wall moves over the Outer Banks.

9:00 AM | Hurricane Dorian makes landfall at Cape Hatteras on North Carolina's Outer Banks. A Weatherflow station at Ocracoke, North Carolina, reported a sustained wind of 73 mph and a wind gust of 89 mph. See live coverage, here.

8:10 AM | Andy Pierrotti checks in from Nags Head, NC:

8:00 AM | Hurricane, Tropical Storm, and Storm Surge Warnings have been discontinued in parts of North Carolina in the latest National Hurricane Center update, as the storm appears ready to begin moving east back out into the Atlantic.

Credit: 11Alive

7:45 AM | Ali Weatherton at 11Alive sister station 13 News Now in Hampton, VA, offers a look at conditions there:

6:45 AM | 11Alive's Andy Pierrotti is at North Carolina's Outer Banks and will be sending updates, as conditions allow, throughout Friday:

Meanwhile, the AP reports that large and destructive waves could reach nearly to the ceilings of one-story structures along North Carolina's remote, 200-mile long string of barrier islands and spits, where many year-round residents were determined to ride out the storm.

Ann Warner, who owns Howard's Pub on Ocracoke Island, said about half the 1,000 residents of Ocracoke stuck it out. 

Ferries stopped service on Wednesday, she said, so, "If you want to change your mind, it's too late. We're on our own."

6:30 AM | You can still see the well-defined eye of Dorian, but it is leaving our part of the region. It's about 25 miles east of Cape Lookout North Carolina.

5:00 AM | The latest spaghetti plot shows Hurricane Dorian as a category 1 storm moving up the NE coast.

Credit: 11Alive

4:45 AM | It is now a category 1 storm. Hurricane Dorian has winds moving at 90 mph and windgusts of 120 mph. The storm is now moving NE at 14 mph. 

Credit: 11Alive

Friday 09.06.2019

11:00 PM | Hurricane Dorian continues to pick up speed as it moves along the East Coast of the United States. It's currently sitting off the North Carolina coast, near Wilmington, where it is lashing the state with 100 mph winds as a category 2 storm.

Credit: WXIA

10:44 PM | The death toll for Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas has risen to 30 as aid begins to land in the island, according to the Bahamian health minister. 

Read the full story here. 

8:39 PM | The Atlanta Braves said they gave out more than 7,000 free tickets to Hurricane Dorian evacuees over the last two games - roughly 3,100 on Tuesday and 4,100 on Thursday night.

8:00 PM | Dorian is now moving on from South Carolina and is now pummeling the North Carolina coast. Winds are down again, to 100 mph.

Credit: WXIA

5:00 PM | Dorian is about 45 miles south-southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and about 85 miles south-southwest of Wilmington North, Carolina. The Maximum sustained winds are at 105 mph.

Credit: WXIA

2:00 PM | The Tropical Storm Warning for the coast of Georgia is now discontinued, the National Hurricane Center said in its 2 p.m. update.

Credit: WXIA

1:30 PM | The town of Emerald Isle, NC shared pictures of damage after a water spout / tornado touched down at Islander and Reed Thursday morning. They said the boardwalk and RVs suffered the most severe damage but did not report injuries.

See more pictures, here.

Credit: Town of Emerald Isla, NC
Shortly after 9:00 am Thursday, September 5, Emerald Isle experienced a water spout / tornado.

1:00 PM: | The National Hurricane Center says there are hurricane-force wind gusts being recorded in Charleston Harbor, up to 80 mph at multiple observing locations.

In North Carolina, meanwhile, 11Alive's Andy Pierrotti is observing the calm before the storm:

11:30 AM | While evacuation orders have been lifted in Georgia and coastal roads are open, coastal state parks will remain closed today.

11:20 AM | Hurricane Dorian has now weakened back down to a Category 2, after strengthening through early Thursday morning.

Maximum wind speeds dropped from 115 mph to 110 mph in the latest update, downgrading the hurricane's category.  

The National Hurricane Center measures category strength by maximum wind speeds. A Category 3 starts at 111 mph, with 96-110 mph representing a Category 2 and 95 mph and below a Category 1.

Credit: WXIA

11:15 AM | 11Alive's Andy Pierrotti is with residents in North Carolina waiting for Dorian to arrive:

11:00 AM | Maximum sustained winds have slowed a bit, back down to 110 mph, as the hurricane approaches North Carolina. Warnings south of Edisto Beach, South Carolina have been discontinued and parts of Delaware are now under a Tropical Storm Warning.

10:30 AM | Gov. Brian Kemp said evacuation orders in Georgia have been lifted. Residents are safe to return home.

READ: Evacuation orders lifted in Georgia after Dorian passes

10:00 AM | Live cameras are showing Hurricane Dorian's impact on the Carolinas.

The Frying Pan Ocean Cam, from EXPLORE, has been showing some remarkable shots Thursday morning. 

The ocean camera is attached to the Frying Pan Tower, located about 34 miles off the coast of Cape Fear, North Carolina.  

9:30 AM | A re-energized Dorian, which gained some strength as it passed the coast of Georgia overnight, has lashed Charleston as it makes its way to North Carolina's vulnerable Outer Banks, the AP reports.

8:35 AM | 11Alive's Christie Ethridge released a beautiful timelapse of the sunrise on St. Simons. 

8:00 AM | The eye of the storm has moved past Georgia's coast and is on its way to North Carolina.

No parts of Georgia are any longer under a hurricane or tropical storm watch or warning.

Credit: WXIA

6:20 AM | Christie says the waves are now inches high instead of feet. There seems to be no lasting flooding on St. Simons Island. 

5:45 AM | Hurricane Dorian is beginning to pull away from Coastal Georgia. 

5:00 AM | Dorian's maximum sustained winds are still at 115 mph with gusts still at 140 mph. It has also gained some speed, moving along now at 8 mph. It's heading towards the Carolinas.

Credit: 11Alive

4:30 AM | Hurricane Dorian is still a category 3 storm.

Its maximum sustained winds are still at 115 mph with gusts still at 140 mph. It has slowed some, moving along now at 7 mph.

Credit: 11Alive

Thursday 09.05.2019

10:55 PM | Hurricane Dorian has strengthened enough to move back up to a category 3 storm.

Its maximum sustained winds are back up to 115 mph with stronger gusts at 140 mph. It has also slowed some, moving along now at 7 mph.

Credit: WXIA

9:10 PM | This is a current look around Savannah, Georgia, where businesses are boarded up and sandbags line the street. 

Credit: Tyson Paul, WXIA

9:00 PM | Dorian's winds and rain continue to strike the Georgia coast. 11Alive StormTracker and meteorologist Chris Holcomb is tracking the latest on the storm, and other storms brewing in the tropics.

7:50 PM | Hurricane Dorian looks to be about the same strength as it moves on from the Florida coast and begins lashing the Georgia coast, bringing life-threatening storm surge and significant flooding. 

Winds are holding steady at 110 mph, with higher 130-mph gusts. The category 2 storm is still moving on at the same clip: 8 mph.

Credit: WXIA

7:15 PM | The death toll associated with Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas has risen to 20, according to reports. Click here for the full story

4:57 PM | Hurricane Dorian is moving away from Florida and up the Georgia coast. The storm - still a category 2 hurricane - has picked up more wind speed, but has slowed some - down to 8 mph from 9 mph. 

Credit: WXIA

3:15 PM | Pictures from our crews in the field show choppy surf at St. Simons as Dorian moves closer to the coast.

2:45 PM | Hurricane Dorian has changed a lot throughout the day | Take a live look at the coast and get the latest update from our crew at St. Simons Island.

2:00 PM | The latest track is now available.

Credit: WXIA

1:30 PM | Contraflow is ending on I-16 out of Savannah, but officials stressed it is "not a welcome mat" for residents to return home.

Evacuees won't be allowed back until Dorian passes, Gov. Kemp and other officials said at an afternoon press conference.

1:00 PM | Dorian has started to look a little "healthier" over the last couple of hours. Convection (purples near the eye) has fired up.  Despite that, hurricane hunters found no increase in wind speed for the 1 p.m. update.

Credit: WXIA
Wednesday 1 PM update

12:55 PM | Large waves are crashing on the beach at St. Simons Island. 11Alive's Christie Ethridge is on the beach and streamed the waves live.

12:00 PM | On the outer banks of North Carolina, 11Alive's Andy Pierrotti saw businesses boarding up and preparing for what the storm could bring. School buses also arrived in Manteo, NC to help evacuees. If anyone needs someone to pick them up, call: 252-475-5640.

11:15 AM | The 11 a.m. National Hurricane Center advisory includes a notification that a "tornado or two are possible along the immediate coast of Georgia this afternoon." 

11:00 AM | The hurricane is now moving slightly faster - 9 mph - north-northwest about 90 miles from Daytona Beach and 205 miles south of Charleston.

The National Hurricane Center advises that hurricane warnings have extended northeastward along the North Carolina coast, as Dorian looks set to track in that direction by early Thursday.

Credit: WXIA

10:30 AM | While Hurricane Dorian remains the tropical system to watch, there are now four other tropical disturbances to keep an eye on, too. The most recent one showed up on satellite early Monday, Sept. 2. It is located farther east off the coast of Africa. It has a zero percent chance of developing in the next two days but a 70-percent chance of development in the next five days.

10:00 AM | In a press conference, Savannah area officials said they expect the worst to come overnight tonight. The eye of Hurricane Dorian is expected to pass about 60-70 mph off the Georgia shore and could bring 40-50 mph tropical storm force winds.

It is currently about 168 miles away from Savannah, officials estimated.

9:30 AM | Dorian sped up overnight from moving NW 6 mph at the 11:00 p.m. update to moving NNW at 8 mph at the 5:00 p.m. update.

9:00 AM | The only roadways off St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island are likely to be impassable today between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., Gov. Kemp tweeted. Citing the National Weather Service's Jacksonville station, the governor said the F.J. Torras Causeway that connects Brunswick and St. Simons Island, and the Downing Musgrove Causeway that connects Jekyll Island to US-17, would be inundated with water for a stretch today.

8:50 AM | The center of Dorian remains about 150 miles away from Brunswick. Coastal Georgia observation sites aren't recording tropical storm force winds (39+MPH) yet. Strongest winds arrive this evening.

8:15 AM | Beach access is now closed on St. Simons Island, GDOT says.

8:00 AM | Dorian's sustained wind speeds are at 105 mph with gusts as strong as 125 mph and it continues to move north-northwest at 8 mph. 

It is now 135 miles southeast of Jacksonville.

Credit: 11Alive

7:42 AM | The worst part of the storm remains off the Georgia shoreline for now. Here's an update. 

7:20 AM | Five Georgia Department of Driver Services Customer Service Centers in coastal communities bracing for Hurricane Dorian are closed.

6:40 AM | A wind advisory will be in effect in southeast Georgia from 11 a.m. Wednesday to 8 a.m. Thursday. 

5:52 AM | Gov. Kemp has issued an Executive Order expanding the State of Emergency to include nine additional counties: Appling, Bacon, Bulloch, Clinch, Echols, Evans, Screven, Tattnall and Ware. He tweeted that tropical storm winds are expected in these areas. He also reminded people that price-gouging is prohibited. 

Credit: WXIA
Georgia counties under State of Emergency

5:00 AM | Wind speeds are moving at around 105 mph and wind gusts are at 125 mph. It is moving NNW at 8 mph.

Credit: 11Alive

Wednesday 09.04.2019

11:30 PM | While the Georgia coast is expected to feel the effects of the category 2 storm, metro Atlanta will not feel much of anything.

11Alive StormTrackers Chief Meteorologist Chris Holcomb breaks down what to expect. 

10:55 PM | The overall strength of Dorian remains about the same, with the winds still holding steady at 110 mph. The storm, still a category 2 hurricane, is also moving about about the same pace at 6 mph. Rain and wind are now impacting the Florida coast. More details on the storm.

Credit: WXIA

9:15 PM | Two additional deaths associated with Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas have been confirmed. The death toll now sits at seven, up from the five deaths previously reported. 

MORE: Dorian scrapes Florida's east coast as death toll rises to 7 in the Bahamas

7:50 PM | The 8 p.m. advisory for Hurricane Dorian is out, but it shows no change in wind speed and strength for the category 2 storm. Here is the latest on the storm.

Credit: WXIA

5:30 PM | Gov. Brian Kemp gave another update from the state's GEMA headquarters in Atlanta on the emergency preparations the state is enacting ahead of Hurricane Dorian.

Right now, officials say they are expecting winds of 55 to 60 mph to hit the Georgia coast and barrier islands, but hurricane-force winds are possible closer to the shore in Camden, Glynn, and Liberty counties.

READ: St. Simons out of Dorian's cone of uncertainty, but not out of danger

Officials say rain models appear to be improving, but storm surge is still an issue. They’re expecting to have two high tides as the storm passes Georgia – one Wednesday afternoon, the other early Thursday morning. That could have a major impact on flooding.

Officials say they’re most concerned with the latest models showing the storm coming closer to the Georgia’s coast. They’re keeping an eye especially on Savannah, and are urging people to heed the warning to evacuate.

5:00 PM | Dorian's winds have remained the same at 110 mph, though gusts are topping out a little stronger. The storm is still a category 2 storm, but it is now moving a little quicker at 6 mph. More information on the storm here

Credit: WXIA

3:30 PM | Due to Hurricane Dorian, Rockledge (Florida) has cancelled against Columbia this Friday. Valdosta’s game with Bradwell Institute was also cancelled.

The two teams have agreed to play to fill the voids in their schedules. Columbia will travel to Valdosta, 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

2:05 PM | Glynn County officials said they are preparing for Hurricane Dorian by implementing evacuation zone curfews

The curfew begins Tuesday at 10 p.m. and lasts until 6 a.m. for evacuated Zone A. Glynn County Officials have evacuated zone A, which are the barrier islands, City of Brunswick and everything east of I-95. Jekyll island also issued a curfew that begins at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.  

Read more here.

2:00 PM | Dorian is speeding up. It's now moving NW at 5 mph as a category 2 storm. Here is a picture of the latest track showing the path Dorian is predicted to take. More maps plus information on warnings, here.

Credit: WXIA

1:00 PM | Dorian is now moving NW at 3 mph. The category 2 storm is getting faster with each hourly update. It is finally starting to leave the Bahamas and make its way toward Florida's east coast.

12:55 PM | The Georgia National Guard has been activated and is already preparing to be ready to respond and recover once Dorian hits.

12:30 PM | The Salvation Army has activated their feeding and hydration teams in coastal Georgia. 

“The Salvation Army is currently supporting emergency disaster personnel, evacuees, and shelters across the state of Georgia with feeding and hydration services.” says Captain Jason Smith, Georgia Incident Commander. “In addition, every Salvation Army canteen in Georgia will be on alert and ready for deployment to help when and where needed.”

12:00 PM | Dorian is now moving NW at 2 mph with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph and gusts of 125 mph.

11:40 AM | Tropical storm warnings and hurricane warnings now line the entire Georgia coast. Hurricane watches remain.

Although the overall maximum winds within the storm have gone down, the area that will be impacted by tropical storm-force winds of 39 mph or greater has gotten bigger, from 160 miles to 175 miles. This means strong winds may arrive a little sooner than previous forecasts.

11:00 AM | Hurricane Dorian has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. It is moving to the northwest at 2 mph. 

As the storm decreases in wind speed, however, it is growing in size.

10:30 AM | These maps show the areas under a state of emergency and the areas under a mandatory evacuation.

Credit: WXIA
Counties under a state of emergency
Credit: WXIA
Georgia counties under mandatory evacuation orders.

9:09 AM | Wind speeds have decreased 5 mph to 155 mph. It continues to move NW at 1 mph. 

8:20 AM | Glynn County EMA held a forecast briefing. Director Jay Wiggins said "Now we're just waiting for the enemy to show up."

8:00 AM | Hurricane Dorian has begun to move again. It was stagnant but is now moving NW at 1 mph. Sustained winds are at 120 mph with wind gusts are at 150 mph.

7:45 AM | Lanes on I-16 have begun reversing for the contraflow ordered to speed the mandatory evacuations. This means that all four lanes of traffic will flow from Savannah westbound toward Macon. All eastbound access to I-16 will be blocked between Dublin and Savannah beginning Tuesday and throughout the contraflow process. 

Specifics details on the contraflow, here.

6:00 AM | Dorian's maximum sustained winds are down slightly to 120 mph, putting it into Category 3 territory, which is still a major hurricane. 

It's expected to remain a category 3 as it moves up the east coast. Here is the latest path.

5:00 AM | A hurricane warning has been issued for the waters from the Altamaha Sound, Ga to Fernandina Beach, Fla. Offshore areas are under the Hurricane Warning while areas inland are under the tropical storm warning. The Graphic below highlights the line.

Credit: WXIA

State of Georgia Resources

  • View up-to-date emergency declarations from Governor Kemp here.
  • View updates from Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency here.
  • Visit Ready Georgia for weather alerts and emergency preparedness tips.
  • Follow Georgia 511 for real-time traffic information.
  • Learn what to do before, during, and after a flood here.
  • Report power outages by contacting your power provider. The two main providers in Georgia are:  
    • Georgia Power (contact here or at 888-891-0938)
    • Georgia electric membership cooperatives (EMCs) (find your local branch here)
  • Call your local non-emergency police line to report a downed tree on a main road.

Before You Leave, Check This Out