Parts Of Florida Start To Feel The Effects Of Hurricane Dorian

ORMOND BEACH, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 01: People gather at the beach as the threat of Hurricane Dorian looms on September 1, 2019 in Ormond Beach, Florida. Dorian, once expected to make landfall near Indialantic in Florida as a category 4 storm, is currently predicted to turn north and stay off the Florida coast lessening the impact on the area. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

It’s been a rollercoaster for folks up and down Florida’s east coast over the last several days as Hurricane Dorian inched closer. People from the southern tip of the state all the way up to the border of Georgia and beyond have prepared for the worst. Now it appears most of Florida will escape hurricane-force winds. And while it’s frightening to see the storm is currently heading due west for Palm Beach County, forecasters are still confident it will turn north soon.

"The storm will make a turn."

Hurricane Dorian, a massive Category 5 system with hurricane-force winds extending up to 45 miles, is less than 120 miles away from Florida. @NBC6 meteorologists stress the storm WILL turn away from South Florida: https://t.co/nBI8ce2S7C pic.twitter.com/0NiDS4n7TQ
— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) September 2, 2019

In the meantime, officials are urging residents to stay vigilant.

8 A.M. ADVISORY: The eye of Category 5 #HurricaneDorian is moving at a slow 1 mph over Grand Bahama Island. Landfall in Florida cannot be ruled out.

NEW UPDATE: https://t.co/abZoiiK1yR pic.twitter.com/k2YY9NEmG2
— FOX 35 Orlando (@fox35orlando) September 2, 2019

Evacuations of several coastal towns are still in effect. The Palm Beach International airport is closed and the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International airport will also shut down starting at noon today. Thousands of flights in and out of the state have been canceled.

"We have been through this before… we have got this."

A mayor in Florida gives a rallying cry as Hurricane Dorian is expected to creep towards the US state later today. The storm is the strongest anywhere on the planet this year. https://t.co/krwdfEvLR4 pic.twitter.com/JmQQbOu5hq
— CNN (@CNN) September 2, 2019

Now residents in Georgia and South Carolina are also making preparations. Georgia’s Atlantic coast and South Carolina’s coastal counties are all under evacuation orders as of noon today.

Tropical-storm-force winds are mostly likely to start in Georgia early on Wednesday, in South Carolina late Wednesday, and in North Carolina early Thursday. Follow the latest #Dorian forecast at https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB pic.twitter.com/WjJzaNFncj
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 2, 2019