The 11 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center on August 31 shows a shift in the expected path of Hurricane Dorian. The cone now includes North Carolina.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the northwest Bahamas excluding Andros Island, which is under a Hurricane Watch. Hurricane conditions are expected in the hurricane warning area across the northwestern Bahamas by Sunday, with tropical storm winds beginning Saturday night.

Interests in south and central Florida should continue to monitor the progress of Dorian. Watches may be required for portions of the east coast of Florida later Saturday.

As of 11 a.m. Saturday, Hurricane Dorian is centered about 415 miles east of West Palm Beach, Fla. Dorian is moving toward the west near 8 mph and a slower westward motion should continue into early next week. On this track, the core of Dorian should move over the Atlantic well north of the southeastern and central Bahamas Saturday, be near or over the northwestern Bahamas on Sunday and move near the Florida east coast late Monday through Tuesday.

Data from both NOAA and Air Force Hurricane Hunter planes indicate that the maximum sustained winds have increased to near 150 mph with higher gusts. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles. Dorian is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are likely, but Dorian is expected to remain a powerful hurricane during the next few days.

According to NOAA, life-threatening storm surge is expected to raise water levels by as much as 10 to 15 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds in the northwestern Bahamas. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

The next complete advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 5 p.m. with an intermediate advisory at 2 p.m.

While it is too soon to tell what impact Dorian might have on the Outer Banks, this is a good time to make sure your storm preparation plan is in place. Check out our 2019 Disaster Preparedness Guide here for more information. For updates, check back here or hurricanes.gov.

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