Hurricane Dorian
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Hurricane Dorian was an extremely powerful and catastrophic Category 5 Atlantic hurricane, which became the most intense
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
on record to strike
the Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
, and tied for strongest
landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
in the Atlantic basin. It is also regarded as the worst natural disaster in the Bahamas' recorded history. It was also one of the most powerful hurricanes recorded in the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
in terms of 1-minute sustained winds, with those winds peaking at 185 mph (295 km/h). In addition, Dorian surpassed
Hurricane Irma Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that caused widespread destruction across its path in September 2017. Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Maria two ...
of 2017 to become the most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record outside of the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
. Dorian was the fourth
named storm Tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones are named by various warning centers to simplify communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings. The names are intended to reduce confusion in the ...
, second hurricane, the first
major hurricane Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
, and the first Category 5 hurricane of the
2019 Atlantic hurricane season The 2019 Atlantic hurricane season was the fourth consecutive above-average and damaging season dating back to 2016 Atlantic hurricane season, 2016. However, many were weak and short-lived, especially towards the end of the season. Six of tho ...
. Dorian struck the Abaco Islands on September 1 with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h), tying with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane for the highest wind speeds of an Atlantic hurricane ever recorded at landfall. Dorian went on to strike
Grand Bahama Grand Bahama is the northernmost of the islands of the Bahamas, with the town of West End located east of Palm Beach, Florida. It is the third largest island in the Bahamas island chain of approximately 700 islands and 2,400 cays. The island i ...
at similar intensity, stalling just north of the territory with unrelenting winds for at least 24 hours. The resultant damage to these islands was catastrophic; most structures were flattened or swept to sea, and at least 70,000 people were left homeless. After it ravaged through the Bahamas, Dorian proceeded along the coasts of the
Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...
and
Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...
, leaving behind considerable damage and economic losses in those regions. Dorian developed from a
tropical wave A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...
on August 24 over the Central Atlantic. The storm moved through the
Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...
and became a hurricane north of the
Greater Antilles The Greater Antilles ( es, Grandes Antillas or Antillas Mayores; french: Grandes Antilles; ht, Gwo Zantiy; jam, Grieta hAntiliiz) is a grouping of the larger islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and ...
on August 28. Dorian proceeded to undergo
rapid intensification In meteorology, rapid intensification is a situation where a tropical cyclone intensifies dramatically in a short period of time. The United States National Hurricane Center defines rapid intensification as an increase in the maximum sustained wi ...
over the following days, before reaching its peak as a Category 5 hurricane with one-minute sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of by September 1. It made landfall in the Bahamas in
Elbow Cay Elbow Cay is an cay in the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas. Originally populated by British loyalists fleeing the newly independent United States of America in 1785, it has survived on fishing, boat building, and salvage. Its main village of Hope ...
, just east of Abaco Island, and again on
Grand Bahama Grand Bahama is the northernmost of the islands of the Bahamas, with the town of West End located east of Palm Beach, Florida. It is the third largest island in the Bahamas island chain of approximately 700 islands and 2,400 cays. The island i ...
several hours later, where it remained nearly stationary for the next day or so. After weakening considerably, Dorian began moving northwestward on September 3, parallel to the east coast of Florida. Dwindling in strength, the hurricane turned to the northeast the next day and made landfall on
Cape Hatteras Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina. Long stretches of beach, sand dunes, marshes, and maritime forests create a unique environment where wind and waves shap ...
at Category 2 intensity on September 6. Dorian transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on September 7, before striking first
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...
and then
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
with hurricane-force winds on the next day. The storm finally dissipated near
Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
on September 10. From August 26 to August 28, the storm affected several parts of the northernmost Lesser Antilles. Damaging winds primarily affected the
Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Croix ...
where gusts reached . Extensive precautionary measures were taken to mitigate damage, especially in
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
, where one person died. Elsewhere in the Lesser Antilles, impacts from the storm were relatively minor. In preparation for the storm, the states of
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
,
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
and
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
all declared a
state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
and many coastal counties from Florida to North Carolina issued mandatory evacuation orders. Damage in the Bahamas was catastrophic due to the prolonged and intense storm conditions, including heavy rainfall, high winds and
storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the n ...
, with thousands of homes destroyed and at least 77 direct deaths recorded, 74 of which occurred in the Bahamas. The true death toll is unknown, with 245 people still missing as of August 2020. Dorian is the costliest disaster in Bahamian history, estimated to have left behind $3.4 billion (2020 USD) in damage in that country, while causing a total of $5.1 billion in damage overall. Due to the damage and loss of life, the name Dorian was later retired from the Atlantic rotating naming lists by the
World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics. The WMO originated from the Internati ...
.


Meteorological history

On August 19, 2019, the
National Hurricane Center The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the division of the United States' NOAA/National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting tropical weather systems between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 3 ...
(NHC) identified a
tropical wave A tropical wave (also called easterly wave, tropical easterly wave, and African easterly wave), in and around the Atlantic Ocean, is a type of atmospheric trough, an elongated area of relatively low air pressure, oriented north to south, which ...
—an elongated
trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), the l ...
of low air pressure—within a
monsoon trough The monsoon trough is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, ...
over
Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
and
Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
in western Africa. Convective activity associated with the wave was limited by an abundance of
Saharan dust Saharan dust is an aeolian mineral dust from the Sahara desert, the largest hot desert in the world. The desert spans just over 9 million square kilometers, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, from the Mediterranean sea to the Niger River v ...
in the region. Propagating west over the tropical Atlantic Ocean, the system remained disorganized for several days. On August 23, a defined area of low pressure consolidated at the surface and thunderstorm activity increased. The system acquired sufficient organized convection to be classified as Tropical Depression Five at 15:00 UTC on August 24. At this time the system was situated 805 mi (1,300 km) east-southeast of
Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
. A deep
ridge A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...
imparted continued westward movement of the depression, steering it toward the
Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...
. A small cyclone, it soon developed a defined inner-core with a 12 mi (18 km) wide eye-like feature. This marked the system's intensification into a tropical storm, at which time it was assigned the name ''Dorian'' by the NHC. Thereafter, moderate
wind shear Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...
and surrounding dry air limited further organization.
Rainband A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar im ...
s gradually wrapped more around Dorian on August 25–26, though convection remained inconsistent. Dorian continued moving west and made landfall at 01:00 UTC on August 27 in Barbados, bringing tropical storm-force winds and heavy rain. It then started moving northwestward toward
Saint Lucia Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindian ...
. At 11:00 UTC of the same day, Dorian made landfall on the island of Saint Lucia as a tropical storm, briefly disrupting the core of the storm, before entering the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
. The storm underwent a center relocation further north, to the west of
Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in th ...
, causing the island to experience tropical storm-force winds as well. Dorian had been predicted to travel northwest and pass over or near the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
or
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
, possibly allowing their mountainous terrain to weaken the tropical storm. At that time, dry air and wind shear were expected to prevent Dorian from attaining hurricane status—although just barely. However, Dorian took a more northerly track than expected, causing it to pass to the east of Puerto Rico and hit the
US Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...
. On August 28, Dorian intensified into a Category 1 hurricane as it approached the US Virgin Islands, where hurricane-force winds were recorded; at 15:30 UTC that day, Dorian became a hurricane and made landfall in Saint Croix and a few hours later, at 18:00 UTC, Dorian made landfall on Saint Thomas at a slightly higher intensity. However, the hurricane's small size prevented mainland Puerto Rico from experiencing hurricane- or tropical storm-force winds, although this was not the case for the
Spanish Virgin Islands The Spanish Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes Españolas), formerly called the Passage Islands (Spanish: ''Islas del Pasaje'') and also known as the Puerto Rican Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes de Puerto Rico, ''Islas Vírgenes Puertorr ...
. Once the system moved north past the Virgin Islands, the storm entered a more favorable environment. On the next day, the system started to rapidly intensify, reaching Category 2 status early on August 30. Rapid intensification continued, and the storm eventually reached major hurricane status several hours later, on the same day. This strengthening trend came to a halt for the remainder of the day, but soon resumed. The system continued strengthening, and on August 31, Dorian attained Category 4 major hurricane status. Dorian reached Category 5 intensity on the following day. On the morning of September 1, a
dropsonde A dropsonde is an expendable weather reconnaissance device created by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), designed to be dropped from an aircraft at altitude over water to measure (and therefore track) storm conditions as the devi ...
deployed by a NOAA aircraft measured a wind gust of at the surface. With one-minute sustained winds of 180 mph (285 km/h) and a minimum pressure of , the NHC noted that Dorian was the strongest hurricane in modern records to affect the northwestern Bahamas. At 16:40 UTC on September 1, Dorian made landfall on
Great Abaco Island Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...
in the Bahamas, with one-minute sustained winds of , wind gusts over , and a central barometric pressure of , as Dorian reached its peak intensity during landfall. Storm chaser Josh Morgerman observed a pressure of in
Marsh Harbour Marsh Harbour is a town in Abaco Islands, Bahamas, with a population of 6,283 as of 2012. The settlement lies on a peninsula just off the Great Abaco Highway, which runs south through Great Abaco to Cherokee Point and Little Harbour. North of to ...
. Dorian's forward speed decreased around this time, slowing to a westward crawl of . At 02:00 UTC on September 2, Dorian made landfall on
Grand Bahama Grand Bahama is the northernmost of the islands of the Bahamas, with the town of West End located east of Palm Beach, Florida. It is the third largest island in the Bahamas island chain of approximately 700 islands and 2,400 cays. The island i ...
near the same intensity, with the same sustained wind speed. Afterward, Dorian's forward speed slowed to just , as the
Bermuda High The Azores High also known as North Atlantic (Subtropical) High/Anticyclone or the Bermuda-Azores High, is a large subtropical semi-permanent centre of high atmospheric pressure typically found south of the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean, at the Ho ...
that was steering the storm westward weakened. Later that day, the storm began to undergo an
eyewall replacement cycle In meteorology, eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones, generally with winds greater than , or major hurricanes ( Category 3 or above). When tropical cyclones reach this int ...
to the north of Grand Bahama; the Bermuda High to the northeast of Dorian also collapsed, causing Dorian to stall just north of Grand Bahama. Around the same time, the combination of the eyewall replacement cycle and
upwelling Upwelling is an oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense, cooler, and usually nutrient-rich water from deep water towards the ocean surface. It replaces the warmer and usually nutrient-depleted surface water. The nut ...
of cold water caused Dorian to begin weakening, with Dorian dropping to Category 4 status at 15:00 UTC. Due to the absence of steering currents, Dorian stalled north of Grand Bahama for about a day. Dorian subsequently weakened to a Category 2 storm on September 3, before beginning to move northwestward at 15:00 UTC, parallel to the east coast of Florida, with Dorian's wind field expanding during this time. While moving northwestward, Dorian gradually reorganized. At 06:00 UTC on September 5, Dorian moved over the warm waters of the
Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Current, North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida a ...
and completed its eyewall replacement cycle, reintensifying into a Category 3 hurricane off the coast of
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
. However, several hours later, Dorian encountered high
wind shear Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizontal ...
, causing the storm to weaken to a Category 2 hurricane early on September 6. Then, at 12:35 UTC that day, Dorian made landfall in
Cape Hatteras, North Carolina Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina. Long stretches of beach, sand dunes, marshes, and maritime forests create a unique environment where wind and waves shape ...
as a Category 2 hurricane, with 1-minute sustained winds of 100 mph (160 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of . Afterward, Dorian began to transition into an
extratropical cyclone Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of ...
as it quickly moved northeastward, completing its transition on September 7. The storm maintained its intensity, due to baroclinic processes, generating Category 2 hurricane-equivalent winds. Several hours later, at 7:05 p.m. AST on September 7 (23:05 UTC on September 7), Dorian made landfall on Sambro Creek,
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...
, as a Category 1-equivalent
extratropical storm Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of ...
, before making its fourth and final landfall on the northern part of
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
several hours later. By 11:00 p.m. AST on September 8 (03:00 UTC on September 9), Dorian had moved into the
Labrador Sea The Labrador Sea (French: ''mer du Labrador'', Danish: ''Labradorhavet'') is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean between the Labrador Peninsula and Greenland. The sea is flanked by continental shelf, continental shelves to the southwest, northwest, ...
, 375 miles off the coast, moving northeastward at , with wind speeds of , maintaining
tropical storm A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
-strength winds. As Dorian no longer posed a threat to Atlantic Canada at that time, the NHC issued their final advisory on the storm. On September 10, Dorian's extratropical remnant dissipated off the coast of southern
Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
.


Preparations


Caribbean

Prior to Dorian's arrival in the Lesser Antilles, local governments issued various
tropical cyclone warnings and watches Tropical cyclone warnings and watches are alerts issued by national weather forecasting bodies to coastal areas threatened by the imminent approach of a tropical cyclone of tropical storm or hurricane intensity. They are notices to the local popul ...
across the islands.
LIAT LIAT (1974) Ltd, also known as Leeward Islands Air Transport Services and operating as LIAT, is a regional airline headquartered in Antigua and Barbuda that operated high-frequency inter-island scheduled services to 15 destinations in the Caribb ...
cancelled multiple flights across the Lesser Antilles due to the storm and airports across the
Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Croix ...
temporarily suspended operations. Many of the threatened islands suffered devastating impacts in 2017 from Hurricanes Irma and
Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
, lending to greater vigilance. In Barbados, thirty-eight shelters opened island-wide, with 103 residents seeking refuge in them. All public services were suspended for the duration of the storm. Homeless persons were transported to shelter by emergency personnel. On August 26, St. Lucia prime minister
Allen Chastanet Allen Michael Chastanet (born 20 November 1960) is a Saint Lucian businessman and politician who served as Prime Minister of Saint Lucia from 2016 to 2021. He is currently the Opposition Leader of Saint Lucia and the political leader of the ...
announced that the nation would "shut down" for the duration of Dorian. In Dominica, Prime Minister
Roosevelt Skerrit Roosevelt Skerrit (born 8 June 1972) is a Dominican politician who has been Prime Minister of Dominica since 2004; he has also been the Member of Parliament for the Vieille Case constituency since 2000. Regionally, he has served as the chairman ...
ordered all public sector workers to remain home and prepare for the storm. The Ministry of Public Works mobilized heavy machinery and the police were placed on high alert. Puerto Rico
Wanda Vázquez Garced Wanda Emilia Vázquez Garced (born July 9, 1960) is a Puerto Rican politician and attorney who served as Governor of Puerto Rico from 2019 to 2021. Prior to her tenure as governor, she served as the 19th secretary of Justice, from 2017 to 20 ...
declared a
state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
for the territory on August 27. The following day, the
Puerto Rico National Guard The Puerto Rico National Guard (PRNG) – es, Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico– is the national guard of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and s ...
was activated to support any relief operations related to the storm. Fears centered around the still-unstable power grid which was largely destroyed by Maria; hundreds of utility workers were deployed to quickly fix any outages. In some areas, power lines remained affixed to palm trees. An estimated 30,000 homes still had damaged roofs from the 2017 hurricane. Territory-wide, 360 shelters with a collective capacity of 48,500 persons opened; 24,000 cots were distributed to these shelters. A state of emergency was declared for the
United States Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...
on August 28. Curfews were enacted for the British and United States Virgin Islands for the duration of the hurricane.


Bahamas

A warning to take immediate cover was issued by the NHC Twitter account, at 11a.m. EDT on September 1, 2019, as Dorian made landfall in
Elbow Cay Elbow Cay is an cay in the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas. Originally populated by British loyalists fleeing the newly independent United States of America in 1785, it has survived on fishing, boat building, and salvage. Its main village of Hope ...
,
Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
, at 16:40 UTC as a Category 5 hurricane. Samuel Butler, the
Royal Bahamas Police Force The Royal Bahamas Police Force is the national law enforcement agency of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. It operates within the portfolio of the Ministry of National Security. The police force was established on 1 March 1840 and is headquartered ...
assistant commissioner with responsibility for Grand Bahama and the Northern Region (Abaco, Bimini and the Berry Islands), told residents "if you do not heed to the warning ..we know that the end could be fatal" and Don Cornish, the administrator with the City of Freeport told others seeking shelter at Old Bahama Bay Hotel "that is not a good idea ..reconsider that decision".


Mainland United States


Florida

On August 28,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
governor
Ron DeSantis Ronald Dion DeSantis (; born September 14, 1978) is an American politician serving as the 46th governor of Florida since January 2019. A member of the Republican Party, DeSantis represented Florida's 6th district in the U.S. House of Repres ...
declared a state of emergency for 26 counties in the hurricane's expected path. This later expanded to the entire state on August 29. First responders distributed sandbags in many counties. Residents began stocking up on supplies throughout the state. In
Brevard County Brevard County ( ) is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 606,612, making it the 10th-most populated county in Florida. The official county seat is located in ...
, locals worked to trim large tree branches to protect power lines. The
University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...
,
Stetson University Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I–4 corridor in Central Florida with the primary undergraduate campus in DeLand. The university was founded in 1883 and was later established in 1887 ...
,
Rollins College Rollins College is a private college in Winter Park, Florida. It was founded in November 1885 and has about 30 undergraduate majors and several graduate programs. It is Florida's fourth oldest post-secondary institution. History Rollins Colle ...
, and
Daytona State College Daytona State College (DSC) is a public college with its main campus in Daytona Beach, Florida. DSC also has 6 smaller regional campuses throughout Volusia and Flagler counties. It is part of the Florida College System. The college offers more ...
cancelled classes between August 30 and September 3. In addition, the
Florida Institute of Technology The Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech or FIT) is a private research university in Melbourne, Florida. The university comprises four academic colleges: Engineering & Science, Aeronautics, Psychology & Liberal Arts, and Business. App ...
,
University of North Florida The University of North Florida (UNF) is a public research university in Jacksonville, Florida. It is part of the State University System of Florida and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Sch ...
, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University,
Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, and satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Florida, Dania Beach, Davie, Florida, Davie, Fort Lauderd ...
,
University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF i ...
,
Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in Miami-Dade County. Founded in 1965, the school opened its doors to students in 1972. FIU has grown to become the third-largest uni ...
and the
University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...
cancelled classes for at least one day on top of the three-day Labor Day weekend. When it became apparent that Dorian would near the Florida coastline, a tropical storm watch was issued for the Florida east coast from
Deerfield Beach Deerfield Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States, just south of the Palm Beach County line. The city is named for the numerous deer that once roamed the area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 86,859. It is a principal ...
to
Sebastian Inlet Sebastian Inlet, located in Sebastian Inlet State Park in Brevard County, Florida and Indian River County, Florida, offers surfing and fishing opportunities. It is off State Road A1A just 12 miles north of Vero Beach. There are annual surf tour ...
on August 31. It was upgraded to a tropical storm warning a few hours later. A hurricane watch was issued for the area north of Deerfield Beach on September 1, and it was upgraded to a hurricane warning later that day. On the night of September 1, a hurricane watch was issued for
Volusia Volusia County (, ) is located in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Florida, stretching between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 census, the county was home to 553,543 people, an increase of 11.9% from the 2 ...
and Broward counties, which was later upgraded to a hurricane warning and extended down the coast. The
Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
and
Gulf Coast League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the lo ...
of Minor League Baseball both cancelled the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs due to the hurricane. In college football, the game between the Florida State Seminoles and the
Boise State Broncos The Boise State Broncos are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Boise State University, located in Boise, Idaho. The Broncos compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Moun ...
originally scheduled for 7p.m. on August 31 in Jacksonville was moved to 12:00 p.m. on August 31 in Tallahassee to move the game out of the path of the storm. The
Orlando Pride The Orlando Pride is a professional women's soccer team based in Orlando, Florida. The team joined the National Women's Soccer League, the top level of women's soccer in the US, for the 2016 season. It became the tenth team to be added to th ...
of the National Women's Soccer League postponed their game against the
Washington Spirit The Washington Spirit is an American professional soccer club based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that participates in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It is a continuation of the D.C. United Women of the W-League and cont ...
from August 31 to October 5.
Kay Ivey Kay Ellen Ivey (born October 15, 1944) is an American politician serving as the 54th and incumbent governor of Alabama since 2017. Originally a conservative Southern Democrat, Ivey became a member of the Republican Party in 2002. She was the 38t ...
,
Governor of Alabama A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
, announced that the
Alabama National Guard The Alabama National Guard is the National Guard of the U.S State of Alabama, and consists of the Alabama Army National Guard and the Alabama Air National Guard. (The Alabama State Defense Force is the third military unit of the Alabama Milita ...
would be sending up to fifty support personnel to Florida to aid in recovery efforts. On September 1, Governor DeSantis said that 4,500 members of the
United States National Guard The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force when activated for federal missions.Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
, Florida, announced mandatory evacuations for Monday, September 2, taking effect at 8a.m. The city bridges closed when wind speeds of were recorded. Emergency shelters opened at 10a.m. on Monday.
Broward County Public Schools Broward County Public Schools is a public school district serving Broward County, Florida, is the sixth largest public school system in the nation. During the 2016–2017 school year, Broward County Public Schools served 271,517 students enroll ...
will be closed Tuesday; all city and government offices, as well as all
Duval County Public Schools Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) is the public school district that serves the families and children residing in the urban, suburban, and rural areas of the City of Jacksonville and Duval County, Florida. As of 2015, the district had an enroll ...
, St. Johns County Public Schools, and
Brevard Public Schools Brevard Public Schools is a school district serving Brevard County, Florida, and based in Viera, Florida. In 2015, the district had about 74,000 students. 24% attend a school other than the one to which they are assigned. In 2009, the school boar ...
will be closed for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Neptune Beach Neptune Beach is a beachfront city east of Jacksonville in Duval County, Florida, United States. When the majority of Duval County communities consolidated with Jacksonville in 1968, Neptune Beach, along with Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach ...
,
Jacksonville Beach Jacksonville Beach is a coastal resort city in Duval County, Florida, United States. It was incorporated on May 22, 1907, as Pablo Beach, and would later change its name to Jacksonville Beach in 1925. The city is part of group of communities col ...
, and Atlantic Beach will closed Sunday night. On September 2, a curfew was set in place for
Flagler County Flagler County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 115,378. Its county seat is Bunnell. Created in 1917 from portions of Saint Johns and Volusia Counties, it ...
that will start at 7p.m. Tuesday until further notice.
Legoland Florida Legoland Florida Resort (stylized as LEGOLAND Florida Resort) is a vacation destination in Winter Haven, Florida. The resort features the Legoland Florida theme park itself, the Legoland Water Park, three on-site accommodations and a separatel ...
and parts of
Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...
were closed on Tuesday. The parts not closed stayed open until either 2p.m or 3p.m. EDT. It was announced on Tuesday that Walt Disney World would fully open back up for Wednesday.
Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), based in San Francisco, provides mobility as a service, ride-hailing (allowing users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi), food delivery (Uber Eats and Postmates), package ...
started offering fee waivers on roundtrip rides to and from shelters for up to $20.
Comcast Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...
started offering free
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wave ...
to everyone in Florida,
Verizon Verizon Communications Inc., commonly known as Verizon, is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is headquartered at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in ...
provided unlimited calling, data, and texting for customers, and
AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile tel ...
waived data overage charges for residents. On September 3, 115 general shelters and 48 special needs shelters were open across the state of Florida.


Georgia

On August 28,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
governor
Brian Kemp Brian Porter Kemp (born November 2, 1963) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 83rd governor of Georgia since January 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Kemp served as the 27th secretary of state of Georgia from 2010 t ...
declared a state of emergency for coastal counties of Georgia that are in the forecast path of the hurricane, including Brantley, Bryan, Camden, Charlton,
Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
, Effingham,
Glynn Glynn () is a small village and civil parish in the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies a short distance south of Larne, on the shore of Larne Lough. Glynn had a population of 2,027 people in th ...
,
Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
,
Long Long may refer to: Measurement * Long, characteristic of something of great duration * Long, characteristic of something of great length * Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate * Longa (music), note value in early music mens ...
,
McIntosh McIntosh, Macintosh, or Mackintosh (Gaelic: ') may refer to: Products and brands * Mackintosh, a form of waterproof raincoat * Mackintosh's or John Mackintosh and Co., later Rowntree Mackintosh, former UK confectionery company now part of Nestl ...
,
Pierce Pierce may refer to: Places Canada * Pierce Range, a mountain range on Vancouver Island, British Columbia United States * Pierce, Colorado * Pierce, Idaho * Pierce, Illinois * Pierce, Kentucky * Pierce, Nebraska * Pierce, Texas * Pierce, We ...
and Wayne counties. Governor Kemp added several more counties on Wednesday, September 4, bringing the total number of counties under emergency to 21.
Atlanta Motor Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly known Atlanta International Raceway from 1960 to 1990) is a 1.54-mile entertainment facility in Hampton, Georgia, United States, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It has annually hosted NASCAR Cup Series ...
opened their campgrounds free of charge to evacuees of Hurricane Dorian. The Georgia State Park System waived parking and pet fees at their parks and made many campgrounds available for evacuees.
Georgia State University Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a Public university, public research university in Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the ...
offered free tickets to their September 7 football game to any evacuees. The
College of Coastal Georgia A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...
announced campus closures for both Tuesday and Wednesday following Labor Day.
Savannah State University ) , established = , closed = , type = Public historically black university , parent = University System of Georgia , academic_affiliation = Space-grant , endowment ...
also cancelled classes Tuesday. The Georgia coast began experiencing tropical storm force wind gusts and Dorian's outer rain on Wednesday, September 4. On September 2, a hurricane watch was issued for the south coast of Georgia as Dorian neared. It was later extended to include the whole coast. A tropical storm warning was issued for the entire coast as well.


South Carolina

On August 31,
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
governor
Henry McMaster Henry Dargan McMaster (born May 27, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 117th governor of South Carolina since January 24, 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party. McMaster worked for U.S. senator Strom Thurmond, in ...
declared a state of emergency for the entire state after the path of Dorian shifted to affect South Carolina as a strong hurricane. On September 1, during a news conference, Governor McMaster announced that mandatory evacuations for
Jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases,Kostov, R. I. 2010. Review on the mineralogical systematics of jasper and related rocks. – Archaeometry Workshop, 7, 3, 209-213PDF/ref> ...
, Beaufort, Colleton, Charleston,
Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...
, Dorchester, Georgetown, and Horry counties will go into effect on Monday, September 2, at noon. State government offices and schools in the counties previously mentioned will be closed until further notice, starting Tuesday. Due to the evacuations, many colleges including
College of Charleston The College of Charleston (CofC or Charleston) is a public university in Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785, it is the oldest university in South Carolina, the 13th oldest institution of higher learning in the Unit ...
and
Coastal Carolina University Coastal Carolina University (CCU or Coastal) is a public university in Conway, South Carolina. Founded in 1954 as Coastal Carolina Junior College, and later joining the University of South Carolina System as USC Coastal Carolina, it became an in ...
were closed from Tuesday until further notice. On September 2, as Dorian's track shifted, a hurricane watch was issued for the entire coast. This was later upgraded to a warning as Dorian's expected track took it near the coast.


North Carolina

On August 30,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
governor
Roy Cooper Roy Asberry Cooper III (born June 13, 1957) is an American attorney and politician, serving as the 75th governor of North Carolina since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th attorney general of North Carolina from 20 ...
declared a state of emergency for the entire state, due to the hurricane.
Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway (previously known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009) is a motorsport complex located in Concord, North Carolina, outside Charlotte. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing includin ...
opened their campgrounds free of charge to evacuees of Hurricane Dorian. In
Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
, a large statewide hurricane shelter opened inside the former
Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
store at the Northgate Mall. The
University of North Carolina at Wilmington The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW or UNC Wilmington) is a public research university in Wilmington, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina System and enrolls 17,499 undergraduate and graduate students eac ...
cancelled classes for the week of September 3 and issued a mandatory evacuation of the campus. Over the Labor Day weekend, several school districts announced plans to close ahead of expected evacuations.
New Hanover County New Hanover County is one of 100 counties located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 225,702. Though the second-smallest NC county in land area, it is one of the most populous, as its county seat, Wilm ...
, Pender County and Brunswick County, all in the
Cape Fear region Cape Fear is a coastal plain and Tidewater region of North Carolina centered about the city of Wilmington. The region takes its name from the adjacent Cape Fear headland, as does the Cape Fear River which flows through the region and empties ...
, cancelled public schools on September 4–5, as did several private schools and community colleges. Early voting for most counties in the
special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-larges ...
in North Carolina's 3rd congressional district and for some counties in the
special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-larges ...
for the 9th congressional district was also temporarily halted after Wednesday, September 4 as a result, until the
North Carolina State Board of Elections The North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) is an agency of the North Carolina state government charged with the administration of the elections process, as well as campaign finance, and lobbying disclosure and compliance. The State Board ...
could decide what action to take. Ultimately, Karen Brinson Bell, the Board's Executive Director, would opt to use her emergency powers to extend early voting hours for the 9th district through Saturday, September 7, but only in four harder-hit counties that actually closed polling sites, and to have other counties further inland which did not close polling sites end early voting on Friday, September 6, as originally prescribed under state law, in order to make the most of the district's resources. Likewise, the Board extended early voting hours through Saturday for 11 counties in the 3rd district, but not for 6 other affected counties suffering from "power outages, poor conditions or a lack of workers." Further north, along the
Outer Banks The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separating ...
in Dare County a mandatory evacuation order was given on September 2, 2019. Visitors and tourists were required to evacuate by noon on September 3, while residents were required to evacuate by 6:00 a.m. on September 4. The state's ports were closed starting at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4, until further notice. On September 3, Governor Cooper activated more than 300 members of the
North Carolina National Guard The North Carolina National Guard (NCNG), commonly known as the North Carolina Guard, is a component of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the National Guard of the United States. It is composed of Army and Air National Guard uni ...
to help aid in recovery efforts. On September 3, a hurricane watch was issued for the entire coastline. It was later upgraded to a warning just a few hours later.


Virginia

On September 2,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
governor
Ralph Northam Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms ...
declared a state of emergency ahead of Dorian's anticipated impact on coastal Virginia. On September 3, a tropical storm watch was issued for the Delmarva Peninsula. This was upgraded to a warning a day later as Dorian's track became more apparent.


Maryland and Delaware

On September 4, as Dorian's large size was expected to potentially bring tropical storm conditions to southern Maryland and Delaware, in correspondence with the upgrading of the tropical storm watch in effect for the Delmarva to a warning, a tropical storm watch was issued for areas south of Fenwick Island, and areas of the Tidal
Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...
south of
Cobb Island Cobb Island is a small island located at the confluence of the Potomac and Wicomico rivers in southern Charles County, Maryland, United States. It is located approximately south of Washington, and is considered to be within the Washington, D.C ...
, as well as areas south of
Drum Point Drum Point is a census-designated place (CDP) in southern Calvert County, Maryland, United States, at the confluence of the Patuxent River with Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located ...
. In
Ocean City, Maryland Ocean City, officially the Town of Ocean City, is an Atlantic resort town in Worcester County, Maryland along the East Coast of the United States. The population was 6,844 at the 2020 U.S. census, although during summer weekends the city hosts b ...
, officials closed the seawall and removed items from the beach and boardwalk; swimming restrictions were also put into place. In
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware Rehoboth Beach ( ) is a city on the Atlantic Ocean along the Delaware Beaches in eastern Sussex County, Delaware. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the population was 1,327, reflecting a decline of 161 (11.2%) from the 1,488 counted in the 2000 ce ...
, swimming restrictions were also put into place, while the portion of the weekend Sandcastle Contest to take place on September 6 was cancelled.
Larry Hogan Lawrence Joseph Hogan Jr. (born May 25, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 62nd governor of Maryland since 2015. A moderate member of the Republican Party, he was secretary of appointments under Maryland governor Bo ...
also authorized Maryland's Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team to help with NC rescue.


New England

As Dorian was pulled to the northeast by a passing
cold front A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface trough of low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropical cyclone (to the west in the Norther ...
, the storm passed just 150 miles (240 km) offshore of New England. As a result of this near-miss, a tropical storm watch was issued on September 5 from
Woods Hole Woods Hole is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It lies at the extreme southwest corner of Cape Cod, near Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands. The population was 781 at ...
to Sagamore Beach, including
Nantucket Nantucket () is an island about south from Cape Cod. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government that is part of the U.S. state of Massachuse ...
and
Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the s ...
, in
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
. It was upgraded to a warning later the same day. On September 6, a tropical storm warning was issued for the northern coast of
Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
from
Bar Harbor Bar Harbor is a resort town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population is 5,089. During the summer and fall seasons, it is a popular tourist destination and, until a catastrophic fire ...
to Eastport.


Elsewhere

In
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
,
Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Bristol is among the m ...
opened one of their campgrounds free of charge to evacuees of Hurricane Dorian. Along the
Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore (known by locals simply as the Shore) is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Po ...
in
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, officials in
Margate City Margate City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Margate City's population was 5,317, a reduction of 1,037 over the previous decade.Brigantine A brigantine is a two-masted sailing vessel with a fully square-rigged foremast and at least two sails on the main mast: a square topsail and a gaff sail mainsail (behind the mast). The main mast is the second and taller of the two masts. Older ...
removed lifeguard stands and boats from the beach. In advance of Dorian,
Airbnb Airbnb, Inc. ( ), based in San Francisco, California, operates an online marketplace focused on short-term homestays and experiences. The company acts as a broker and charges a commission from each booking. The company was founded in 2008 b ...
offered free housing to evacuees in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas, valid from August 31 through September 16. AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile waived charges and/or provided unlimited data to customers within affected states. The American Red Cross Utah Region deployed members to the Southeast U.S. For days in advance of the storm, experts at U.S. Geological Survey warned of the likelihood of rip currents and beach erosion along the Southeast U.S. shoreline. The organization deployed at least 150 storm-tide sensors and 22 other instruments to track the hurricane's effects along the coast.


Alabama controversy

On September 1, President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
tweeted that multiple states, including
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
, "will most likely be hit (much) harder than anticipated." By that date, no weather forecaster was predicting that Dorian would impact Alabama, and the eight National Hurricane Center forecast updates over the preceding 24 hours showed Dorian steering well away from Alabama and moving up the Atlantic coast. Trump was apparently relying on information that was several days old. Twenty minutes later, the
Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
office of the
National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
(NWS) issued a tweet that appeared to contradict Trump, saying that Alabama "will NOT see any impacts from Dorian". Over the following days Trump insisted repeatedly that he had been right about the hurricane threatening Alabama. On September 4 in the Oval Office, Trump displayed a modified version of the National Hurricane Center's August 29 diagram of Dorian's projected track. The modification was done with a black Sharpie marker to extend the cone of uncertainty of the hurricane's possible path into southern Alabama. Trump said he did not know how the map came to be modified. The incident resulted in the hashtag "Sharpiegate" trending on Twitter. Later the same day, Trump tweeted a map dated August 28, showing numerous projected paths of Dorian. Trump falsely asserted "almost all models" showed Dorian hitting Alabama, even though the map showed most predicted paths would not enter Alabama. On September 6,
NOAA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...
published an unsigned statement which supported Trump's initial claim that Alabama was a target of the storm and criticized the Birmingham NWS office for denying it. It was later revealed that NOAA had been ordered to issue such a statement by Commerce Secretary
Wilbur Ross Wilbur Louis Ross Jr. (born November 28, 1937) is an American businessman who served as the 39th United States Secretary of Commerce from 2017 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Ross was previously chairman and chief executive officer ...
, and that he had been told by Acting White House Chief of Staff
Mick Mulvaney John Michael Mulvaney (born July 21, 1967) is an American politician who served as director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from February 2017 until March 2020, and as acting White House Chief of Staff from January 2019 until March ...
to get NOAA to support Trump's original statement that Alabama was threatened. This direct White House involvement raised questions about political influence over NOAA, and is under investigation by multiple agencies including NOAA's acting chief scientist, the inspector general of the Commerce Department, and the House of Representatives committee which oversees NOAA.


Atlantic Canada

As Dorian approached
Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...
, hurricane and tropical storm warnings were issued for
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...
,
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...
, and
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
. On September 6, the Halifax Regional Municipality encouraged residents living along the eastern shores of Nova Scotia to evacuate, citing expected high winds, heavy rainfall, and waves up to in height. The Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office implored residents to secure easily dislodged objects to prevent high winds from turning them into projectiles, drawing comparisons to
Hurricane Juan A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
in 2003.
Nova Scotia Power Nova Scotia Power Inc. is a vertical integration, vertically integrated electric utility in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is privately owned by Emera and regulated by the provincial government via the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (NSUARB). Nov ...
set up an emergency operations center and mobilized 1,000 personnel, including forestry crews, damage assessors, as well as power line technicians from adjacent provinces, to prepare for Dorian's impacts.
WestJet WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian airline headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, near Calgary International Airport. It is the second-largest Canadian airline, behind Air Canada, operating an average of 777 flights and carrying more than 66,130 ...
,
Air Canada Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada by the size and passengers carried. Air Canada maintains its headquarters in the borough of Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled and ...
, and Porter Airlines issued travel advisories for the weekend and waived rebooking fees for flights to and from affected areas.


Impacts


Caribbean

From August 26 to 29, Dorian produced damaging winds and heavy rain across the eastern Caribbean. In Barbados, winds reached , downing trees and power lines. Isolated interruptions to power occurred on St. Lucia; no damage occurred otherwise in the nation. In Martinique, heavy rains—peaking at in
Rivière-Pilote Rivière-Pilote (; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Lavièpilot or ) is a town and commune in the French overseas department of Martinique. The village is situated on the southern end of Martinique, between the village of Sainte-Luce and the to ...
—and winds up to caused some damage, though overall damage was negligible. Heavy showers in
Dominica Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically ...
left multiple communities without power and water. Rainfall extended north to
Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...
were accumulations reached in Matouba. Striking the
Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Croix ...
as an intensifying hurricane, Dorian brought strong winds and heavy rains to the region. Buck Island, just south of Saint Thomas, experienced sustained winds of and a peak gust of . Wind gusts on Saint Thomas reached . Island-wide blackouts occurred on Saint Thomas and Saint John, while 25,000 customers lost power on
Saint Croix Saint Croix; nl, Sint-Kruis; french: link=no, Sainte-Croix; Danish and no, Sankt Croix, Taino: ''Ay Ay'' ( ) is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincor ...
. The high winds downed trees across the islands. Along the coast, multiple boats broke from their moorings and washed ashore. Some flooding occurred on
Tortola Tortola () is the largest and most populated island of the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands that form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands. It has a surface area of with a total population of 23,908, with 9,400 residents in ...
in the British Virgin Islands. Downed trees knocked out power to some residences on
Virgin Gorda Virgin Gorda () is the third-largest island (after Tortola and Anegada) and second-most populous of the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Geography Located at about 18 degrees, 48 minutes North, and 64 degrees, 30 minutes West, it covers an area ...
. Because the hurricane moved farther northeast than initially anticipated, its effects in Puerto Rico were relatively limited. A man in Bayamón died when he fell off his roof trying to clean drains in advance of the storm.


Bahamas

Increased tides were experienced in the Bahamas ahead of the storm, with
rip current A rip current, often simply called a rip (or misleadingly a ''rip tide''), is a specific kind of water current that can occur near beaches with breaking waves. A rip is a strong, localized, and narrow current of water which moves directly away ...
s occurring as well. On September 1, 2019, hurricane conditions arrived in some of the Abaco Islands. A few hours later, destructive conditions arrived, with Hurricane Dorian making landfall as a Category 5 hurricane at 16:40 UTC, becoming the strongest hurricane in modern records to strike the northwestern Bahamas. Around 12:30pm AST, Category 5 winds arrived at the Bahamas with the
eyewall The eye is a region of mostly calm weather at the center of tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area, typically in diameter. It is surrounded by the ''eyewall'', a ring of towering thunderstorms where the most severe weat ...
. Gusts of over also occurred. Devastating storm surge of up to 23 feet swept away many buildings and submerged a large part of the affected areas. At 7:00 (UTC) on September 2, 2019,
Grand Bahama International Airport Grand Bahama International Airport (GBIA) is an international airport in Freeport, Bahamas. It was privately owned until the government of the Bahamas purchased it in April 2021. The airport was a joint venture between Hutchison Port Holdin ...
was underwater. Minister of Agriculture Michael Pintard reported an estimated
storm tide A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the n ...
of at his home on Grand Bahama. The Bahamas prime minister, Hubert Minnis, said "This is a deadly ..monster storm".
Marsh Harbour Marsh Harbour is a town in Abaco Islands, Bahamas, with a population of 6,283 as of 2012. The settlement lies on a peninsula just off the Great Abaco Highway, which runs south through Great Abaco to Cherokee Point and Little Harbour. North of to ...
received "catastrophic damage", according to an
ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
team. Over 75% of the homes had been damaged, Marsh Harbour International Airport's runway was underwater, there was significant flooding on streets and beaches, damage to trees and with some home's roofs ripped off entirely. The scene was described by an ABC reporter as "pure hell". An eight-year-old boy drowned in the storm surge, while the boy's sister was also reported to be missing. Four other people, along with the eight-year-old boy, were confirmed dead on the Abaco Islands, the prime minister told reporters on Monday. By Wednesday, the death toll had been raised to twenty, according to the prime minister. This soon increased to forty-three by Saturday. However, a Bahamas newspaper suggested that the actual death toll could be over 3,000. The local animal shelters were hit hard by the storm with the Humane Society of Grand Bahama's experiencing stronger storm surges than expected. Workers had attempted to help the animals before retreating to the attic crawl space but almost half of the 190 dogs in their care died in the flooding and some of the 85 cats died as well. The numbers of animals has varied with earlier reports claiming that there were 135 dogs and 155 cats in the shelters care, with 80 cats and 90 dogs surviving. It is feared that the
Bahama nuthatch The Bahama nuthatch (''Sitta insularis'') is a nuthatch species Endemism, endemic to the Bahamian pineyards, pineyards of Grand Bahama island in the The Bahamas, Bahamas. It may be Extinction, extinct as of 2019. Description It has some notabl ...
may have been wiped out by Dorian, as it caused catastrophic damage to the
Bahamian pineyards The Bahamian pineyards are a tropical and subtropical coniferous forest ecoregion in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Geography The Bahamian pineyards cover an area of . Pineyards are found on four of the northern islands in the Ba ...
. A 2020 post-hurricane assessment by the IUCN Red List still entertains the probability of the species being extant, although likely having a maximum population size of only 50 individuals and likely well below that, and indicates that extensive surveys for the species will be needed to confirm its status. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reported that as many as 13,000 homes were damaged or destroyed on Abaco Island. Extensive flooding is also believed to have caused water wells to be contaminated with seawater, creating an urgent need for clean water. Total damage in the country reached $3.4 billion. Property damage accounted for $2.5 billion; the nation suffered $717 million in economic losses; and $221 million was required for debris removal and cleaning a large oil spill. Around 11:24 UTC on September 2, 2019, total power was lost on the island of New Providence, the following day at 1:50 (UTC) 40% of power had been restored. Tropical storm conditions continued into Monday, September 2. At 2p.m. EDT, a sustained wind of and a gust of at a NOAA Coastal Marine observing site at Settlement Point on the west end of Grand Bahama Island. On September 3, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis stated, "Our urgent task will be to provide food, water, shelter, safety and security. Additional food will be delivered by NEMA tomorrow." He went on to say that Dorian was "the greatest national crisis in our country's history." The United Nations projected that as of Saturday, September 7, at least 70,000 people had been left homeless on Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands. On Thursday, September 12, over 1,300 people were missing or unaccounted for in the Bahamas, a number which plummeted from 2,500 over the previous two weeks. On September 26, the number of people missing in the Bahamas dropped to 600, while the official death toll rose to 56. By February 2020, the death toll rose to 74; including 63 in Abaco and 11 in Grand Bahama, with 282 people still reported as missing.


Mainland United States

The National Centers for Environmental Information estimated total damage in the United States to be in excess of $1.2 billion.


Florida

On September 2,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
began experiencing tropical storm-force winds. At 18:00 UTC (2 p.m. EDT), the pier in Juno Beach, Florida, Juno Beach recorded a wind gust of . One death occurred in the central coast barrier island town of Indialantic, Florida, Indiatlantic, when a man fell three stories while boarding up his home. During September 3 and 4, tropical storm force winds continued to move up the east coast of Florida, with the storm's eye staying about 100 miles away from landfall. Many areas along the Atlantic coast reporting gusts of over tropical storm force, especially at Cape Canaveral. At 8am EDT on September 4 at St. Augustine Beach, a sustained wind of and a gust of was reported. In
Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
, the city experienced tropical storm force winds on September 4 which blew around debris and knocked out power. A lifeguard rescued a woman pulled out by a rip current in
Jacksonville Beach Jacksonville Beach is a coastal resort city in Duval County, Florida, United States. It was incorporated on May 22, 1907, as Pablo Beach, and would later change its name to Jacksonville Beach in 1925. The city is part of group of communities col ...
while other swimmers were ordered out of the water. Hurricane Dorian also caused three indirect deaths in Florida. A landscaper was electrocuted to death while trimming trees at a hotel in Naples, Florida, Naples, while two other people died during preparations for storm.


The Carolinas

A fatality occurred in
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
on September 2, when an 85-year-old man fell off a ladder while boarding up his home, and another was confirmed dead on September 6, a 65-year-old man after he, too, fell off a ladder. On September 5, several tornadoes spawned by Dorian were sighted in Onslow County, North Carolina, Onslow County. At around 9a.m. EST that day a tornado touched down in the town of Emerald Isle, North Carolina, Emerald Isle, causing severe damage to a recreational vehicle park and some mobile homes. In total, 25 tornadoes were spawned by Dorian in North Carolina. Flooding from the storm washed out a road in Sampson County, North Carolina, Sampson County. On the same day, tropical-storm force winds had arrived in
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
. Dorian also produced some flooding, especially in Charleston, South Carolina, Charleston. Over 160,000 buildings lost power. Two confirmed tornadoes were spawned in South Carolina by Dorian, including a tornado that was reported in Little River, South Carolina, Little River that damaged trees, roofing, and lifted a car. At the same day another tornado was reported in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Myrtle Beach. On the next day, Dorian made landfall in
Cape Hatteras Cape Hatteras is a cape located at a pronounced bend in Hatteras Island, one of the barrier islands of North Carolina. Long stretches of beach, sand dunes, marshes, and maritime forests create a unique environment where wind and waves shap ...
, North Carolina as a Category 2 storm. Several people on Ocracoke Island were trapped in their attics by flooding from the storm surge, requiring rescue by boats. People were airlifted off the island to shelters on the mainland while food and water were brought in to residents on the island. North Carolina Highway 12, NC 12 along Ocracoke Island suffered damage from flooding. More than 190,000 people in North Carolina lost power from the storm. The National Park Service Incident Management Team also reported that wave erosion from Dorian reshaped parts of the barrier islands in the Outer Banks. High waves swept away a herd of cows from Cedar Island, North Carolina, Cedar Island; three cows survived after being carried away to Core Banks, North Carolina, Core Banks. A third fatality occurred on September 7 when a man died from injuries sustained in a chainsaw accident while he was trying to clear a fallen tree.


Elsewhere

55 aircraft from military installations in Virginia and the Carolinas were evacuated to Pensacola in order to avoid the hurricane. Waves from the hurricane caused erosion to the Delaware Beaches, beaches in Delaware. In Bethany Beach, Delaware, Bethany Beach, the waves narrowed the beaches and also damaged dune fencing. The
Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore (known by locals simply as the Shore) is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Po ...
saw gusty winds and rough waves from the storm. The State of Alabama received no rainfall or wind effects from Hurricane Dorian during its track up the continental coast. More than of rain fell in parts of Down East Maine. Gusts reached in coastal areas of the state, leaving hundreds of homes and businesses without power. Acadia National Park closed Sand Beach and Thunder Hole as a precaution and warned people to keep their distance from the waves.


Atlantic Canada

On September 7, 2019, at 5p.m. EDT,
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...
started to experience hurricane-force winds. By 7p.m. EDT, the center of the storm passed over Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, while tropical storm conditions were being felt in
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...
. By September 8, approximately 412,000 customers in
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...
lost power, accounting for approximately 80 percent of the province, as well as 80,000 customers in New Brunswick. Flooding was reported, roofs were torn off buildings, and a Crane (machine), crane collapsed onto a building being constructed. The collapse led to local evacuations for some residents and businesses. First responders evacuated 31 persons from a campground in Prince Edward Island early Sunday morning, on September 7, as it was inundated by storm surge. Though Dorian was Post-tropical cyclone, post-tropical on arrival, winds off the coast of Nova Scotia were estimated to reach , equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane. Rainfall totals were highest in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, which received of rain. Various stations across Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island recorded rainfall amounts in excess of . Several stations recorded winds higher than , with the highest gusts recorded in Grand Étang, Nova Scotia, at . In the Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Cavendish area of Prince Edward Island National Park, 80 percent of trees suffered damage from the high winds, and storm surge caused of coastal erosion. Winds of also affected the Magdalen Islands of Quebec in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Seven thousand customers were without power there at one point, representing nearly all customers on the islands. On the night of September 7, a buoy off the coast of Newfoundland detected a rogue wave, which had been generated by Dorian's winds. Insurance damage across the region was estimated at Canadian dollar, C$105 million (US$78.9 million), with power grid damage in Nova Scotia alone accounting for $39 million (Canadian) by Nova Scotia Power, making it the costliest storm in
Nova Scotia Power Nova Scotia Power Inc. is a vertical integration, vertically integrated electric utility in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is privately owned by Emera and regulated by the provincial government via the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (NSUARB). Nov ...
's history.


Aftermath

Bahamian prime minister Hubert Minnis praised the United States for "assisting us with all of our needs." President Donald Trump assured the Bahamian prime minister of help in relief efforts. In September 2019, President Donald Trump stated that his administration is planning to extend temporary protected status to immigrants from the hurricane-hit Bahamas. There was confusion with the statement however, with the acting Commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection Mark Morgan stating that the US would "...accept anyone on humanitarian reasons...". Shortly after his statement Trump stated that no one would be allowed in without proper documentation, claiming "...the Bahamas had some tremendous problems with people going to the Bahamas that weren't supposed to be there" and the need to protect the US against gang members and drug dealers. The Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, Bahamas Paradise, Royal Caribbean International, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian, and Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival cruise lines started sending water bottles and meals to the Bahamas. The ''MS Grand Celebration, Grand Celebration'' offered to give a chance for evacuees to evacuate to Florida free of charge, given they have the proper documentation. On September 7, the ''Grand Celebration'' helped bring more than 1,100 evacuees to Florida. The company stated in a press release that "the cruise line spent nearly a full day clearing potential evacuees, including vetting their visa and passport documentation." The Royal Caribbean International also helped deliver more than 43,000 water bottles and 10,000 meals to the Bahamas. The United States branch of the Jehovah's Witnesses also participated in the relief efforts, delivering 100+ tons of relief supplies and 700 volunteer workers to the affected areas. The evacuation process was not without confusion as many evacuees who had boarded the ''Balearia Caribbean,'' were not told until the vessel had almost departed that anyone traveling to the United States without a visa must disembark. This caused many, including families with children to disembark. Blame for the confusion was placed on US Customs and Border Protection by the vessel who claimed to have been told that visa's were not necessary, and on the vessel by the US Customs and Border Protection who stated the vessel did not coordinate properly. As the hurricane had damaged or destroyed a majority of the Humane Society of Grand Bahama and killed many of the animals in its care, a GoFundMe was created in order to help renovate and aid the organization's locations. Surviving animals were airlifted to the United States in order to disperse them to other shelters while the organization was stabilized. About 300 military personnel from the Canadian Armed Forces were deployed to the Halifax area to assist with recovery. Parks Canada estimated that 80 per cent of the trees in the western, Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Cavendish segment of Prince Edward Island National Park were downed by the storm, as well as causing of coastal erosion. All public schools in Nova Scotia were closed on September 9 and 10. Public schools were closed across Prince Edward Island on the 9th, and most re-opened the next day. News reports stated that the
Bahama nuthatch The Bahama nuthatch (''Sitta insularis'') is a nuthatch species Endemism, endemic to the Bahamian pineyards, pineyards of Grand Bahama island in the The Bahamas, Bahamas. It may be Extinction, extinct as of 2019. Description It has some notabl ...
has been wiped out by Dorian as it caused impact on the
Bahamian pineyards The Bahamian pineyards are a tropical and subtropical coniferous forest ecoregion in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Geography The Bahamian pineyards cover an area of . Pineyards are found on four of the northern islands in the Ba ...
.


Records

With sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h), Dorian is the strongest hurricane on record to strike the Bahamas since records began in 1851. Dorian is tied with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane for the highest sustained winds at landfall in an Atlantic hurricane; by the same metric, it is also the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Wilma, Wilma in 2005. By central pressure, it was the fifth lowest pressure of a hurricane at landfall. Dorian is one of only two Category 5 hurricanes to make landfall on the Abaco Islands, the other having occurred in 1932 Bahamas hurricane, 1932, and is the only such storm on record to have impacted
Grand Bahama Grand Bahama is the northernmost of the islands of the Bahamas, with the town of West End located east of Palm Beach, Florida. It is the third largest island in the Bahamas island chain of approximately 700 islands and 2,400 cays. The island i ...
. With Dorian, 2019 became the fourth consecutive year to produce at least one Category 5 hurricane in the North Atlantic. Additionally, Dorian featured the highest sustained winds in an Atlantic hurricane recorded at latitude (26.6°N), and was the strongest Atlantic-basin hurricane ever detected outside of the Tropical Atlantic, tropics, surpassing
Hurricane Irma Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that caused widespread destruction across its path in September 2017. Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Maria two ...
. Dorian also tracked the least distance in a 24-hour period recorded for an Atlantic major hurricane since Hurricane Betsy in 1965 Atlantic hurricane season, 1965. The storm impacted a single land area as a Category 5 hurricane for the longest duration recorded in the Atlantic basin, with portions of Dorian's eyewall striking Great Abaco Island and Grand Bahama with Category 5 winds for about 22 hours.


Retirement

Due to the disastrous effects of Dorian, particularly in the Bahamas, the name was expected to be retired. However, the 2020 World Meteorological Organization meeting was online and shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in insufficient amount of time for discussing potential retirements and replacements of tropical cyclone names. During the following year's meeting, ''Dorian'' was retired due to the damages and deaths it caused, and will never be used again for another Atlantic hurricane. It will be replaced with ''Dexter'' for the 2025 season.


See also

* List of Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes * List of Canada hurricanes * Tropical cyclones in 2019 * Timeline of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season * 1928 Okeechobee hurricane – passed through the Lesser Antilles and the Bahamas as a major hurricane in September 1928, before curving northwards over Florida * Hurricane Andrew (1992) – took a similar track and struck the Bahamas and south Florida as a Category 5 hurricane * Hurricane Floyd (1999) – took a similar track and affected the Bahamas and the US East Coast * Hurricane Joaquin (2015) – A Category 4 hurricane that also stalled over The Bahamas * Hurricane Matthew (2016) – formed near Barbados and affected the Windward Islands, Grand Bahama, Florida and the Outer Banks in late September 2016 * Hurricane Isaias (2020) – affected similar areas * Hurricane Nicole (2022) – affected similar areas


Notes


References


External links

The National Hurricane Center:
Archived 5-day Forecasts Track and Watch/Warnings Graphic

Advisory archive on Hurricane Dorian
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorian (2019), Hurricane Hurricane Dorian, 2019 Atlantic hurricane season, Dorian 2019 in the Caribbean Hurricanes in the Leeward Islands, Dorian (2019) August 2019 events in North America Hurricanes in the Windward Islands, Dorian Hurricanes in the Bahamas, Dorian Hurricanes in Barbados, Dorian Hurricanes in Saint Lucia, Dorian Hurricanes in Martinique, Dorian Hurricanes in Dominica, Dorian Hurricanes in the United States Virgin Islands, Dorian Hurricanes in the British Virgin Islands, Dorian 2019 meteorology, Dorian 2019 natural disasters 2019 in the United States Virgin Islands, Dorian Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes Articles containing video clips Hurricanes in Canada, Dorian Natural disasters in Newfoundland and Labrador, Dorian History of Halifax, Nova Scotia Natural disasters in Nova Scotia Natural disasters in Prince Edward Island 2019 disasters in Canada Tropical cyclones in 2019, Dorian Retired Atlantic hurricanes, Dorian