First To Know WeatherHurricane Center

Actions

Dorian, now Category 1, makes landfall on North Carolina's east coast

Posted at 7:03 AM, Aug 26, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-06 09:07:16-04

(WTXL) — As of the 9 a.m. Friday update from the National Hurricane Center, Dorian made landfall over Cape Hatteras, North Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center says Dorian made landfall over Cape Hatteras, NC with sustained winds near 90 mph. Dorian is moving northeast at 14 mph and this general motion with an increase in forward speed is expected through Saturday.

On the forecast track, the center of Dorian will move near or over the coast of North Carolina during the next few hours. The center should move to the southeast of extreme southeastern New England tonight and Saturday morning, and then across Nova Scotia late Saturday or Saturday night.

🌀 MORE: WTXL Hurricane Section| Hurricane Survival Guide | DOWNLOAD: WTXL app | LATEST FORECAST | LIVE: Radar

Maximum sustained winds are near 90 mph (150 km/h) with higher gusts. NHC reports that Dorian's hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km) from the center and tropical-storm- force winds extend outward up to 220 miles (350 km).

A NOAA weather station at Cape Lookout, North Carolina, located inside the western eyewall of Dorian has reported sustained hurricane-force winds of 74 mph (119 km/h) and a gust to 94 mph (152 km/h). This is equivalent to a 1-minute sustained wind speed of 81 mph (130 km/h).

A few tornadoes are possible this morning across eastern North Carolina into southeastern Virginia.

Dorian should remain a powerful hurricane as it moves near or along the coast of North Carolina during the next several hours. Dorian is forecast to become a post-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds by Saturday night as it approaches Nova Scotia.

On Sunday, Hurricane Dorian made landfall at Elbow Cay, Abacos as a dangerous Category 5. The Category 5 storm is tied with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane for the strongest Atlantic hurricane landfall on record, according to the NHC.

At that time, maximum sustained winds were holding steady at 145 mph with gusts over 190 mph. The storm's winds were clocked as more powerful than Hurricane Michael's sustained winds when it hit the Florida Panhandle. The National Hurricane Center says Dorian is the strongest hurricane in modern records for the northwestern Bahamas.

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for...
* Surf City NC to Poquoson VA
* Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds
* Neuse and Pamlico Rivers
* Hampton Roads

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...
* Little River Inlet to the North Carolina/Virginia border
* Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...
* Nova Scotia

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...
* South Santee River SC to Little River Inlet
* North Carolina/Virginia border to Fenwick Island DE
* Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point southward
* Tidal Potomac south of Cobb Island
* Woods Hole to Sagamore Beach MA
* Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard MA

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for...
* Prince Edward Island
* Magdalen Islands
* Fundy National Park to Shediac.
* Francois to Boat Harbour

The Hurricane Warning has been replaced with a Tropical Storm Warning from South Santee River, SC to Little River Inlet. The Storm Surge Warning south of Surf City has been discontinued.

Dorian is expected to produce the following rainfall totals through late this week:

Northeastern North Carolina...Additional 3 to 8 inches, isolated storm totals 15 inches.
Far southeast Virginia...3 to 8 inches
Extreme Southeastern New England...2 to 4 inches
Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island...3 to 5 inches
New Newfoundland...1 to 2 inches

Large swells will affect the northwestern Bahamas, and the entire southeastern United States coast from Florida through North Carolina during the next few days. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

A few tornadoes are possible through this afternoon near the coastal South and North Carolina border area. Tornadoes are possible through early Friday across eastern North Carolina into southeast Virginia.

ABC 27 will continue monitoring the storm.