Hurricane Dorian Pounds Georgia As It Moves To Carolinas

Powerful Hurricane Dorian whipped the Georgia coast Thursday as it grew in size and strength, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people while flooding parts of downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Dorian on its way north, threatening to become the first Category 3 storm since Fran in 1996 to make landfall in North Carolina and watches were issued as far north as Delaware and Massachusetts.

Tornado watches and warnings were issued in many parts of Georgia and the Carolinas.

Tropical-storm-force winds were close to 70 mph Thursday morning in Georgia and South Carolina, with hurricane-force winds expected for coastal South Carolina later in the day. Tropical-storm and hurricane conditions are forecast for coastal North Carolina late Thursday.

Residents in Charleston and the entire South Carolina coast were warned to expect the worst to come, with water levels that could near 10 feet.

“Large areas of deep inundation with storm surge flooding accentuated by battering waves. Structural damage to buildings, with several washing away," the center wrote in its 7 a.m. update. "Damage compounded by floating debris. Locations may be uninhabitable for an extended period.”

The torrential rains were expected along the winds further up the coast. North Carolina’s Outer Banks could get hit with up to 15 inches of rain and coastal Virginia communities such as Hampton Roads could see a storm surge of two to four feet, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Though weakened from the powerhouse category 5 storm that devastated the Bahamas and expected to move toward the northeast, hurricane paths are notoriously difficult to predict, and the Category 3 storm remains a threat to areas as far north as Cape Cod.

Storm surge warnings extended north to Poquoson, Virginia, and a tropical storm warning was put in effect from the North Carolina/Virginia border to Chincoteague, Virginia, and Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point southward.

Nearly two dozen Georgia counties are under emergency declarations, and the state is expected to see the brunt of Dorian’s wrath well into Thursday.

By noon Wednesday, emergency management officials were already receiving reports of downed trees and as Dorian bore down on Georgia.

"Downed trees may mean downed power lines, which are life-threatening," Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted. "Be extremely careful."

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Destructive storm surges of between three and five feet are forecast, according to current models from the National Hurricane Center.

"This storm is a big one, with powerful winds and expected storm surges of 3 to 6 feet," Kemp warned ahead of the storm, urging residents of his state to take Hurricane Dorian's threat seriously. "This is a huge storm we're facing."

Dorian is moving northward, raising the threat in areas in its path. The storm could make landfall along the coastline of the Carolinas late Thursday and bring widespread devastation, the National Hurricane Center warned.

Eastern North Carolina could begin to see some of the impacts, such as increased rain and winds, as soon as Thursday afternoon.

"Now is the time to make final emergency preparations before the storm's onset," the agency said.

The threat of heavy rainfall over eastern South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina prompted a flash-flooding warning for the regions now in effect.

"A high risk exists across portions of the coastal Carolinas, with widespread and significant flooding expected tonight through Friday," the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center said.

Rainfall over Charleston could bring water levels high enough to rank among the top five ever in the coastal city, The Washington Post reported.

Streets were already beginning to flood Wednesday afternoon in Charleston, which is barely above sea level and has a long history of susceptibility to floods, as the city is flat.

Huge numbers of people were fleeing the city, heeding the advice of Gov. Henry McMaster, who has been warning residents of Charleston and other low-lying coastal areas of South Carolina to get out ahead of high winds and life-threatening storm surges.

Florida Returning To Normal

Before Dorian left Florida, residents along the coast dealt with high winds and angry seas, but hurricane warnings and watches and storm surge alerts remained in effect from Daytona Beach to Jacksonville.

“Remain cautious of strong wind gusts and brief bursts of heavy rain in passing squalls today,” the National Weather Service in Melbourne, Florida, tweeted Wednesday morning. “Conditions at beaches are hazardous from #Dorian. The surf remains high and rough, along with a threat of coastal flooding & beach erosion.”

Relieved Floridians were returning to normal Thursday, though many schools remained closed. Several airports reopened, with Orlando International Airport, Palm Beach International Airport, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood and Melbourne International Airport all resuming normal flight operations. More than 800 flights flights had been canceled this week.

Walt Disney World also reopened Wednesday.

While Walt Disney World prides itself on being open 365 days a year, officials opted to close early Tuesday while Dorian's path remained uncertain. It's not the first time the park was forced to close. Two years ago, Hurricane Irma caused Walt Disney World to close for two full days and caused some damage around the resort. The year before that, Hurricane Matthew also caused the parks to close for a day.

To assist those forced to evacuate their homes, Airbnb activated its Open Homes Program to help displaced residents and relief workers deployed to the southeast region impacted by Hurricane Dorian.

The Open Homes program for Hurricane Dorian was first activated on Aug. 28 to assist those in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the new activation area on the U.S. mainland includes the majority of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and parts of Alabama.

'Apocalyptic' Damage In The Bahamas

Dorian was packing category 5 winds when it hit the Bahamas, making it “perhaps the worst hurricane ever" to have struck the islands Michael Scott, the chairman of the government-owned Grand Lucayan Resort and Casino on Grand Bahama Island, told The New York Times. The resort was operating as a shelter because many designated shelters were damaged.

As the winds and rain subsided in the Bahamas, rescue crews fanned out to take a full measure of the devastation from the worst hurricane ever recorded in the country mauled Grand Bahama and Abaco islands.

The death toll stood at seven, but was almost certain to rise. Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said the country is "in the the midst of one of the greatest national crises" in its history.

"Right now there are just a lot of unknowns," Parliament member Iram Lewis told The Associated Press. "We need help."

"The devastation is unlike anything that we've ever seen before,"National Security Minister Marvin Dames said. "We're beginning to get on the ground, get our people in the right places. We have a lot of work in the days and weeks and months ahead."

Lia Head-Rigby, who helps run a Red Cross hurricane relief group, told The AP the scene from the air as she flew over was "apocalyptic."

"It's total devastation. It's decimated," she said. "It's not rebuilding something that was there; we have to start again."

Charity Scam Warnings

Scams could spike along with the storm surge, the Better Business Bureau’s charity arm, Give.org, warned. In past weather disasters, the organization has seen crowdfunding posts from people claiming they’re raising money to deliver and distribute water, food and flashlights to the affected areas.

“Even if they are sincere, such efforts may risk lives, complicate access by professional efforts and potentially divert donations that could be directed in more helpful ways,” Art Taylor, Give.org’s president and CEO, said. "Donors should watch out for newly created organizations that emerge that are either inexperienced in addressing disasters or may be seeking to deceive donors at a vulnerable time."

From the National Hurricane Center's 8 a.m. update:

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for:

• Savannah River to Poquoson VA
• Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds
• Neuse and Pamlico Rivers
• Hampton Roads

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:

• Savannah River to the North Carolina/Virginia border
• Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:

• North Carolina/Virginia border to Chincoteague VA
• Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point southward

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:

• North of Chincoteague VA to Fenwick Island DE
• Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point to Drum Point
• Tidal Potomac south of Cobb Island
• Woods Hole to Sagamore Beach MA
• Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard MA

The Associated Press contributed reporting.