Hurricane Dorian weakened to a Category 2 storm as it remained parked over the Bahamas, inundating the islands with rain, wind and a storm surge of up to 15 feet in some areas, the National Hurricane Center said. As of 10 a.m., the storm was moving northwest toward the U.S. East Coast at 1 mph with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph.
At least five people have died and thousands of homes have been destroyed by the storm as it remains stalled over the island, creating a "historic tragedy" for the island, Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said.
"Dorian is still battering Grand Bahama Island and will continue for many more hours," Minnis tweeted. "We know that there are a number of people in serious distress. We pray for their safety and will provide relief and assistance as soon as possible."
Video posted by residents in the Bahamas showed water reaching the second story of one house, with another video showing waves and wind crashing into a home.
The storm is forecast to move toward the Florida east coast by late Tuesday night through Wednesday evening. The storm is then expected to move "very near" Georgia and South Carolina coasts by Wednesday night and Thursday. Several airports have shut down operations with more than 1,500 flights cancelled by airlines thanks to the encroaching historic storm. Up to one million people living on the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia have been ordered to evacuate by their governors ahead of the storm on Monday.
Meteorologists can't say for certain where the storm is heading after it moves away from the Bahamas. President Donald Trump has granted emergency declarations for Florida, South Carolina and Georgia, with the governors of North Carolina and Virginia also declaring a state of emergency.
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