Hurricane Dorian May Hit MA With 4 Inches Of Rain, 55 MPH Winds

NEW ENGLAND — Hurricane Dorian, which on Tuesday threatened hundreds of thousands of people in the southeast U.S., will barrel along New England and drench the region later in the week. before it barrels past and drenches the region at the end of the week. The hurricane, which was downgraded to a still-powerful Category 2 late Tuesday morning, was expected to present itself as something of a strong nor'easter for northern New England.

Dorian was on track to hit southern New England Friday night into Saturday, according to forecasters. The National Weather Service said Tuesday New England could see more than 4 inches of rain in 12 hours and wind gusts of up to 55 mph, with a particularly high risk along the coast and in places like Nantucket.

The National Hurricane Center indicated there is a chance the winds could reach tropical storm-level. Massachusetts and Rhode Island had a 30 percent chance of such wind gusts and southern New Hampshire had a 10 percent chance.

There will be some serious swells and dangerous surf conditions along the coast this week as the storm churns south of us. A hazardous weather outlook was issued for the southeastern coast of Massachusetts.

Dorian on Tuesday battered the Bahamas, where at least five people died and many more were injured. The hurricane was expected to advance "dangerously close" to Florida Tuesday night into Wednesday night before making its way toward the George and South Carolina coasts.