Hurricane Dorian: US braced for 'life-threatening' storm surge
Media caption Residents in the Bahamas say 'it's total devastation'
Hurricane Dorian is expected to bring a "life-threatening storm surge" up the US east coast after causing widespread destruction in the Bahamas.
Residents from Florida all the way up to Virginia are warned to listen to emergency advice as the category two hurricane slowly moves north.
The storm has weakened after killing at least 20 people in the Bahamas.
Bahamas PM Hubert Minnis said called it "one of the greatest national crises in our ｃountry's history".
On 1 September Dorian hit the ｃountry with winds of up to 185 mph (298 km/h) - equalling the highest ever recorded at landfall. It battered the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama, in the north of the archipelago, for two days.
Although the storm weakened after moving north late on Tuesday, it has also grown in area.
What's the latest on the storm?
Dorian is currently east of the state of Georgia moving north-northwest at about eight miles per hour (13km/h), with maximum sustained winds of 110mph (177km/h). It is expected to turn north on Wednesday night.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned of a "life-threatening storm surge and dangerous winds" for the coasts of Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Virginia, all the way up to Chesapeake Bay.
Graphics showed waters could rise up to 8 feet (2.4m) above ground level on the South Carolina coast, and up to 15 inches of rain could fall in the coming days.
"Time to get out is running out", the state's governor Henry McMaster told reporters.
Here's the ｕpdated #Dorian storm surge forecast from the 5 pm advisory. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide.
"Water levels could rise well in advance of the arrival of strong winds," the NHC said, adding these storm surges are expected "regardless of the exact track of Dorian's center".
Flash flooding is also expected in Georgia and in the Carolinas.
US President Donald Trump earlier held up a map incorrectly suggesting Dorian could hit Alabama. Some observers said it looked as though a line around the state was drawn with a felt pen.
The president has since said he did not know why the chart showed this.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Presidential candidate Marianne Williamson meanwhile earlier suggested on Twitter that prayer could drive the storm away. She defended her now-ｄeleted tweet, claiming that those praying should not be treated with "mockery or condescension".
What happened in the Bahamas?
Although Grand Bahama suffered severe damage and floods, the northern Abaco Islands were hardest hit. Footage taken from the air showed vast swathes of destruction. Homes, roads and businesses have been torn apart, and high waters remain.
Health Minister Duane Sands told the Washington Post 17 had died in the Abaco Islands and three on Grand Bahama. These figures are reportedly expected to rise as rescuers search through the devastated ｃountry.
"There's nothing left in most of Marsh Harbour," said Alicia Cook, who evacuated from the area in the Abaco Islands. "People are starting to panic: pillaging, looting."
Image copyrightAFP/GETTYImage captionRescue and relief efforts are underway to help those affected in the Bahamas
Bob Cornea also spoke to the BBC in the capital Nassau after being evacuated from Marsh Harbour. He said he and his wife took shelter on the second storey of their son's house.
"Water was up to my neck. It stayed like that for two or three hours... My son... he got us out and we got over to safety.
"We've been through all kinds of hurricanes, all kinds of storms: never anything that bad. I mean, it was like we were standing in the middle of the ocean. That's what it looked like. Waves, the water just crashing in over us. Horrifying. Absolutely horrifying."
INTERACTIVESee extent of flooding in Abaco Islands caused by Hurricane Dorian
After Dorian
Before Dorian
The International Red Cross fears 45% of homes on Grand Bahama and the Abacos - some 13,000 properties - have been severely damaged or destroyed.
Some 70,000 people are in "immediate need" of aid, UN officials said.
Is climate change making hurricanes worse?
Scientists cannot say whether climate change is increasing the number of hurricanes, but the ones that do happen are likely to be more powerful and more destructive because of our warming climate, says BBC Weather's Tomasz Schafernaker.
Here's why:
- An increase in sea surface temperatures strengthens the wind speeds within storms and also raises the amount of precipitation a hurricane will dump
- Sea levels are expected to increase by one to four feet over the next century, bringing the potential of far worse damage from sea surges and coastal flooding during storms
Vocabulary
1. swath
noun a row of cut grain or grass left by a scythe or mowing machine
2. loot
Verb steal goods from (a place), typically during a war or riot.
3. pil·lage
Verb rob a (place) using violence, especially in wartime.
4. bat·tered
Adjective injured by repeated blows or punishment.
Discussion
1. How many were killed by the storm in the Bahamas?
2. What would be like for the residents in the Bahamas to go through this natural disaster?
3. What happens when temperature of the sea surface is increased?
4. How many homes or properties were damaged after Dorian hit?
5. Picture and describe what it would be like if the hurricane like Dorian comes to your area.
