Hurricane Dorian still Category 2 headed for Carolinas

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - The Wednesday 4 p.m. CDT update from the National Hurricane Center reported that Dorian remains a Category 2 with max sustained winds at 110 mph.

Dorian is starting to gradually pick up speed this afternoon moving NNW at 8 mph. Tropical Storm Warnings remain in place from Daytona Beach, Florida to the Georgia and South Carolina state line. Hurricane Warnings remain in place for the coastal areas of both North and South Carolina.

Tropical storm force winds of 39 miles per hour or greater are expected for parts of the Florida coast as the storm moves north. Along with the wind threat, storm surge is also forecast for the coastal areas, especially for the Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina coastlines.

The latest weather models and NHC forecast has not changed much overall and still has Hurricane Dorian continuing to the north riding parallel to the Florida and Georgia coastlines before continuing to push towards the Carolinas. Landfall is not expected for areas in Florida and Georgia. While not likely, it is still possible that Dorian may make landfall in the Carolinas. Either way, high winds, heavy rain, and storm surge are all expected to create issues along the coast from Jacksonville to Cape Hatteras late in the week.

As Hurricane Dorian continues its trek north up the coast it will begin to weaken. By mid-week it is forecast to remain a Category 2 hurricane by the time it gets close to South Carolina and North Carolina.

We will continue to monitor Hurricane Dorian and let you know how it may impact you online as well as our 48 First Alert Weather App.

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