MIAMI _ Hurricane Dorian continued to inch away from the Bahamas on Tuesday, the first signs of a much anticipated north turn _ the move likely to spare Florida the brunt of a storm that weakened but remained a still powerful Category 2.
The movement should finally ease the ordeal in the Bahamas, slammed by a record-breaking 185 mph Category 5 storm that stalled over the northwest islands for two days. At least five people have died in the relentless winds and two-story storm surge over the weekend, and the toll easily could rise once relief and rescue workers can fully assess the destruction.
At 5 p.m. EDT the National Hurricane Center placed the center of Dorian 105 miles off Vero Beach with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. The storm may have dropped from peak power but its wind field grew, increasing the risk of high winds and dangerous storm surge to move farther inland as it moves north toward Georgia and the Carolinas. Hurricane-force winds extended 60 miles from the center of the system, and tropical-storm-force winds whipped up to 175 miles from the core.
The storm had also picked up its pace _ by 5 p.m., it was moving at 6 mph _ and it was predicted to speed up more in the next few days as it hugs the coastline. By Friday morning, at 2 a.m., the forecast has Dorian coming dangerously close to the shores of North Carolina, still as a hurricane.
The acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Tuesday afternoon that Hurricane Dorian will have a "minimal impact" on Florida, but officials are still encouraging Floridians to remain vigilant.
"I think we're fortunate that this will have minimal impact on Florida," acting Administrator Peter Gaynor said at a press conference with Gov. Ron DeSantis in Tallahassee. "It's still not over yet, so be prepared for any scenario."
Tuesday also saw the formation of a new tropical depression in the eastern tropical Atlantic, although forecasters said it is "not anticipated to become a hurricane during the work week." The new depression, along with Tropical Storm Fernand just off Mexico's gulf coast and a tropical disturbance several hundred miles northeast of Dorian, is a reminder that early September is the most active time in hurricane season, which ends November 30. None of the systems beside Dorian currently appear to be a threat to land anytime soon.
The Florida coast from Jupiter Inlet to Ponte Vedra Beach is expected to start feeling hurricane conditions Tuesday night as the storm passes off shore. A hurricane warning remained in place for that stretch of Florida.
Chris Andrews was walking around Port Salerno, a small town in unincorporated Martin County on the St. Lucie River inlet, along with a few neighbors around 11 a.m.
"We got really lucky. Incredibly lucky," Andrews said, thinking back to just two days ago when forecasters said Martin County might be where the massive storm made landfall when it was done battering the Bahamas.
"We're just thinking about the Abacos and the Bahamas and how devastating it is for them," he said.
Hurricane Dorian spent most of Labor Day parked over Grand Bahama, lashing the island with winds topping 145 mph and 12 to 18 feet of storm surge.
The ferocious storm ripped off roofs, flooded shelters and killed at least five people. Horrifying video shared on social media showed murky brown waters battering at people's windows, invading the first floor of their homes and, in one case, lapping at the floor of someone's attic.
The U.S. Coast Guard had already rescued 19 people from a medical clinic in Marsh Harbour in the Abaco islands, evacuating them by helicopter to Nassau.
The Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance was mobilizing aid for the Bahamian government, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a tweet on Tuesday.
Relief efforts for the devastated Bahamas have already begun, including with the help from some of the Bahamian communities in South Florida. "We are in urgent need of help," Bahamas consul general Linda Mackey said Tuesday morning at a news conference alongside county leaders, including Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
Hurricane Dorian's full wrath won't be felt on Florida's coast as it skirts the shore in the next few days, but state officials said they are still watching for storm surges and flooding in northeast counties along the storm's path.
The National Weather Service's Miami office said Miami-Dade and Broward counties could see winds from 20 to 30 miles per hour on Tuesday, with gusts up to 40 mph. Both counties _ plus Palm Beach _ are under coastal flood advisories.
At a Tuesday morning briefing at the state Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, forecasters said they had largely ruled out major hurricane conditions in Florida that could cause substantial structural damage but that they were watching as Dorian's outer bands began to sweep over the Treasure Coast and farther north.
Kevin Guthrie, the deputy director of the state's emergency management division, said parts of the coast had already begun to see Dorian's impact, including some dune breaches in Flagler County. State officials are also monitoring the St. Johns River for potential flooding in the next few days.
Ashley Davis, director of operations, said the state may also start looking to send resources to states farther north that may also be brushed by Dorian's path. But he urged responders to remain prepared for the worst possible scenario.
"I don't think I've ever been so frustrated in my career with a hurricane," he said. "I'll feel a lot better when (Dorian's) off Florida's seaboard."
Mandatory evacuation orders remained in place for the coastal areas of 13 eastern counties which have opened 85 shelters, including 22 special needs shelters with 673 special needs clients.
In Lantana Tuesday afternoon, many roads leading to the beach were flooded. Police were blocking cars from driving down A1A which was under several feet of water. Some boats seemed as if they were parked near semi-submerged cars.
Over at Sportsman's Marina in Lantana, home of the 70-foot fishing vessel the Lady K, which was taken to the Florida Keys as a precaution, several people waded through Intracoastal water that had crept over the bank.
Gaelle Cardenas, 8, and Gloria Teske were showing off a homemade paper sign attached to a tree branch.
"I survived Dorian. Now let's celebrate," it said.
Near them were Joseph Baize, 3, and Megan Call, 20. Call's mother, Luann Call, said water this high wasn't actually all that unusual. She blamed much of it on the King Tide and climate change.
Dean Hillman of Boynton Beach was checking on his friend's boat the "Game On." He said friends of his in town lost a home in the Bahamas.
"We were pretty lucky," he said.
Farther south, in Boca Raton, shutters remained up on many of condos lining the beach. People still milled about the sand, watching the swelling seas.
The monster storm about 100 miles off shore didn't stop Chris Bal, 31, who drove up from Fort Lauderdale to surf. "I'm thankful it didn't come this way. It's not fun to go through storms. We dodged a bullet," he said. "And I drove up because I knew the wind was coming from the west so there wasn't too much danger."
Watching from the lifeguard stand was Alice Pearce, accompanied by her mini goldendoodle named Percy. Over the past week, Pearce considered evacuating, as she did two years ago during Irma, when she fled to North Carolina.
"But there was no point," Pearce said. "During Irma it was a hellacious drive. I just came to see the waves, they're kind of fun to watch. I had to prepare, but I'm glad we didn't evacuate."
