Hurricane Dorian
Hurricane Dorian was a tragic 2019 tropical cyclone. The storm hit the British and United States Virgin Islands and nearly hit Puerto Rico. It was the fourth named storm, second hurricane, first major hurricane, and a first Category 5 hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season.
Category 5 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
![]() Hurricane Dorian near peak intensity over the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas on September 1. | |
Formed | August 24, 2019 |
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Dissipated | September 10, 2019 |
(Extratropical after September 7, 2019) | |
Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 185 mph (295 km/h) |
Lowest pressure | 910 mbar (hPa); 26.87 inHg |
Fatalities | 84 total, 245 missing |
Damage | $5.1 billion (2019 USD) |
Areas affected | |
Part of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season |
![](http://up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Hurricane_Dorian_chart_2019-09-09_0000.png/220px-Hurricane_Dorian_chart_2019-09-09_0000.png)
![](http://up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Dorian_2019-09-01_2241Z.png/220px-Dorian_2019-09-01_2241Z.png)
On August 30, Dorian became a first major hurricane of the season, and then became a Category 4 hurricane from a Category 2 in 9 hours. Dorian later became a Category 5 hurricane, making 2019 the fourth consecutive season to feature at least one Category 5 hurricane (Matthew in 2016, Irma and Maria in 2017, and Michael in 2018). The storm was the second most-intense storm to strike anywhere in the Atlantic basin.
Dorian struck the north western Bahamas with 185 mph sustained winds and heavy flooding. This was the most powerful tropical cyclone on the record to hit the Bahamas, and is regarded as the worst natural disaster in the country's history.
The cyclone brushed eastern Florida and Georgia. The storm was also expected to move over northeastern South Carolina, eastern North Carolina and south eastern Virginia. After that, it transitioned into a category 2 extratropical storm and hit Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
Tropical cyclone warnings and watches were put up for areas from the Leeward Islands to Hispaniola. Similar warnings were put up from Florida to Delaware.