Hurricane Dorian Death Toll At 7, Expected To Rise As Storm Reaches Florida

Sep. 4--Hurricane Dorian's death toll in the Bahamas is now at seven, and is expected to rise as the storm inches closer to Florida.

Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said Dorian, which lingered over the islands for days as a Category 5, was "the greatest national crisis in our country's history," at a press conference on Tuesday. He said at least seven people have been killed and at least 25 others were wounded.

Minnis said 60% of homes were damaged in the Marsh Harbor area and at least one community was completely destroyed.

Dorian is currently a Category 2 hurricane with 110 mph maximum sustained winds and is moving north-northwest at 8 mph as of 11 p.m. Tuesday night.

A slightly faster movement toward the northwest or north-northwest is expected through early Wednesday. A turn toward the north is forecast by Wednesday evening, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast on Thursday morning.

Dorian will move "dangerously close" to Florida's east coast and the Georgia coast through Wednesday night, according to the National Hurricane Center. The center of the storm is then projected to move near or over the coast of South Carolina and North Carolina Thursday through Friday morning.

President Trump declared a state of emergency in North Carolina ahead of the storm's arrival and ordered federal assistance "to supplement state, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Dorian," the White House said in a statement.

More than a 250,000 visitors and residents have been told to leave North Carolina's coastal region so far.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster ordered evacuations along the state's coast, reversing a major interstate so that all lanes lead inland from Charleston in order to accommodate more drivers.

Forecasters said that even if Dorian doesn't make landfall, it's likely to bring dangerous winds, life-threatening storm surge and flooding rains to parts of the Carolinas.

With News Wires Services.

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