Catastrophic Category 5 Hurricane Dorian Makes Landfall in the Bahamas
NOAA
Hurricane Dorian made landfall Sunday afternoon at Elbow Cay, Abacos in the Bahamas. The Category 5 storm came ashore with wind speeds up to 185 miles per hour and gusts up to 220 miles per hour.
The National Hurricane Center is reporting that Dorian is now tied with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane for the strongest Atlantic hurricane landfall on record. Scientists don’t think that climate change will increase the frequency of hurricanes, but it will make them more dangerous. As the planet warms, we can expect to see more intense rainfall associated with storms and more destructive storm surge, which is when a storm’s wind pushes water inland.
The eye of #Dorian has made a second landfall at 2 pm EDT (1800 UTC) on Great Abaco Island near Marsh Harbour. Maximum sustained winds were 185 mph at the time. This is tied for the strongest Atlantic hurricane landfall on record with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. pic.twitter.com/O9hrotTTbS
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 1, 2019
Footage of the hurricane shows trees bending from the force of the winds.
RIGHT NOW – A look from just minutes ago in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, as the western eyewall moves over Grand Abaco Island with wind gusts more than 200 mph. 📽️: National Fisheries Association of The Bahamas #bahamas #Dorian #HurricaneDorian @WeatherNation pic.twitter.com/xMMiPdW1k3
— Meredith Garofalo (@GarofaloWX) September 1, 2019
Storm chasers in the Bahamas are reporting that the boards used to shield windows are being pried off by the winds.
11:40 am. Pounding. CRASHING. Boards prying off windows. We’re moving children to a safe space, wrapping them in blankets. 969 mg. #DORIAN
— Josh Morgerman (@iCyclone) September 1, 2019
And it’s not just the wind, the storm surge is also inundating communities.
Wow! New video coming in out of the #Bahamas. The surge from #HurricaneDorian is putting the whole town of New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay, Abaco underwater 😳 video by Chamon McIntosh #dorian #hirricane #Dorian2019 pic.twitter.com/jHBDNPK5ny
— James Wieland (@SurfnWeatherman) September 1, 2019
The storm, which was expected to hit Puerto Rico but abruptly changed course, is expected to impact the southeastern United States next week. But as the island was preparing for the storm earlier this week, Donald Trump took to twitter to attack Puerto Rico and its leaders and to repeat the lie that the territory has received $92 billion in Hurricane Maria relief aid.
Wow! Yet another big storm heading to Puerto Rico. Will it ever end? Congress approved 92 Billion Dollars for Puerto Rico last year, an all time record of its kind for “anywhere.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 27, 2019
Despite Hurricane Maria reaching Category 5 status, Trump said that he’s never heard of a storm in that category.
Trump: “I’m not sure that I’ve ever heard of a Category 5.”
This is the fourth Category 5 hurricane to strike the United States during his presidency. Irma, Maria, Michael, Dorian. pic.twitter.com/xWLYuQRTBU
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) September 1, 2019
Watches and warnings have been posted along the eastern Florida coast, while Georgia and the Carolinas remain on alert.
