Florida is already feeling the force of Hurricane Dorian as it crawls slowly toward its coast, with powerful winds recorded and a report of ongoing coastal flooding in Miami on Tuesday morning.
The state of play: Mandatory evacuations took place in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia throughout Monday, affecting more than a million people, per Reuters. States of emergency have been declared in North Carolina and Virginia. Dorian was downgraded to a Category 3 storm early Tuesday, but the National Hurricane Center warns it's expected to remain a powerful hurricane for the next couple of days.
We have a report of ongoing coastal flooding on NE 30th Street at Biscayne Bay in Miami early this morning. Remember to never drive through flooded roadways. #TurnAroundDontDrown #FLwx pic.twitter.com/Pu3zIdL8Nr
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) September 3, 2019
The big picture: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) declared the state of emergency "in advance of Hurricane Dorian’s effects on southeastern Virginia, anticipated to begin Thursday." Airlines had by 4:30 p.m. ET canceled about 1,275 Monday flights within, into, or out of the U.S., according to flight tracker FlightAware. Most of the cancellations were in Florida.
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said in a statement Sunday night that mandatory evacuation orders had been issued for coastal areas of Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties. St. Johns, Brevard and Volusia counties were issuing evacuation orders on Monday. Tolls were suspended on Florida’s Turnpike and selected toll roads across the state.
- The threat of Dorian prompted airlines to cancel hundreds of flights in the U.S. Monday, mostly in Florida, which is already feeling the force of Dorian's winds. Major airports and attractions in the state were due to close on Tuesday.
- Orlando International Airport will close on Tuesday, and much of Disney World will close Tuesday afternoon, per CNN.
In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster (R) ordered mandatory evacuations for coastal counties, effective Monday. He also ordered school and state government office closures in coastal counties, his office said in a statement.
In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp (R) tweeted Sunday, "Starting noon tomorrow, individuals east of I-95 in Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Glynn, Liberty, and McIntosh Counties must evacuate due to Hurricane Dorian."
- The Georgia Emergency Management Agency and the state Transport Department "will start westerly contraflow on I-16 at 8 AM on Tuesday, Sept. 3," Kemp said, as he urged residents to "stay vigilant and be safe."
In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper (D) declared a state of emergency on Sunday for all 100 counties to mobilize state resources and enable state and local governments to seek federal aid, he said in a statement.
Here are the 11 PM EDT Monday, September 2 Key Messages for Hurricane #Dorian. For more information, visit https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB. pic.twitter.com/B5gaFClgmd
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 3, 2019
In photos: Preparing for Dorian's wrath
