Hurricane Dorian Stalls, Surfers Enjoy Surge, Florida On Edge

MIAMI, FL — Hurricane Dorian stalled over the Bahamas Monday night as sustained tropical storm-force winds brushed the Atlantic coast of Florida. Many Floridians were curious to see the higher-than usual waves and some of them even pulled out their surf boards. Evacuations continued in some areas, while park officials at Disney World planned to shut attractions down early Tuesday.

Hurricane warnings and watches, along with storm surge alerts, remained in effect as the slow-moving hurricane came to a virtual standstill about 105 miles off the West Palm Beach coast. A tropical storm watch was issued in central Florida, with Highland and Polk counties under a watch, as Dorian crept westward.

Curious residents headed to the beach in Palm Beach County on Monday. "I knew what I was expecting when we came here," a recent transplant from the Northeast told Patch. "It beats the snow. I'd rather have this anytime than the snow."

Several airports along Florida's east coast have shuttered for the duration of the storm, according to the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Control System Command Center. Closed airports include Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport Melbourne International Airport, Kissimmee Gateway Airport, Palm Beach International Airport, Pompano Beach Airpark and Vero Beach Regional Airport. As of Monday evening, Miami International and Orlando International airports remained open.

The National Weather Service in Miami said around 6 p.m. that tropical storm-force winds from Dorian are likely to last in Palm Beach County through Tuesday night and were expected to be among the highest in Florida at between 40-50 mph with gusts from 60 to 70 mph in the northern areas of the county.

A storm surge warning is now in effect for Lantana, Florida, to Altamaha Sound, Georgia, while a storm surge watch is in effect for north of Deerfield Beach, Florida to south of Lantana, Florida and Altamaha Sound to the South Santee River, South Carolina.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Grand Bahama and the Abacos Islands in the northwestern Bahamas as well as from the Jupiter Inlet to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for North of Deerfield Beach FL to Jupiter Inlet FL and North of Ponte Vedra Beach FL to South Santee River SC.

A tropical storm warning is in effect in Florida for the area north of Deerfield Beach, to Jupiter Inlet while a tropical storm watch is in effect for the area north of Golden Beach, Florida to Deerfield Beach, Florida and Lake Okeechobee, Florida.

Patch is tracking every move of Tropical Storm Dorian. Get all the updates on the storm by subscribing to Patch's free breaking news alerts and daily newsletters.

Despite the warnings, a number of people, including many daredevil surfers, made their way to the beaches of Boca Raton and other Palm Beach County cities on Monday to experience the unusually high waves. One family was having a picnic on the beach while others danced to music and even played fetch with their dogs.

"We just moved here from New York," shared Michael Koch, who now lives in Boca Raton with his 11-year-old daughter, Sophie. They were playing fetch on the beach with their seven-month old puppy, Roxy.

In nearby Delray Beach about 150 people had already made their way to Atlantic Community High School , which was being used as a shelter ahead of the threatening winds of Hurricane Dorian.

At least five deaths were blamed on the storm in the Bahamas. “We are in the midst of a historic tragedy,” Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said in announcing the fatalities. He called the devastation “unprecedented and extensive.”

The deaths in the Bahamas came after a previous storm-related fatality in Puerto Rico. At least 21 people were hurt in the Bahamas and evacuated by helicopters, the prime minster said.

Dorian remains an "extremely dangerous" storm as it churns toward the Sunshine State after hammering the Bahamas since Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said. "This is perhaps the worst hurricane to have ever struck the Bahamas," Michael Scott, the chairman of the government-owned Grand Lucayan Resort and Casino on Grand Bahama Island, told The New York Times. The resort was operating as a shelter because many designated shelters were damaged.

With sustained winds of 130 mph and higher gusts, Florida officials urged residents in the path of category 4 Hurricane Dorian to have battery-powered lighting at the ready, secure any outdoor objects and keep garbage inside. For days residents have been urged to prepare, but the storm's slow pace in the Atlantic and the uncertainty over whether it will turn north could make people complacent.

"These can become projectiles in high winds and we urge everyone: Do not put your garbage out whatsoever," cautioned Florida Rep. Tobin Rogers 'Toby' Overdorf of St. Lucie County, which is under threat.

Evacuations have been underway along the east coast of the state and were in process along coastal areas in Georgia and South Carolina that are most likely to feel the effects of Dorian. The Gas Buddy app says one-third of the state's gas stations are out of fuel as residents evacuate.

The Atlanta Braves offered free tickets to anyone who has evacuated to the metro area because of Hurricane Dorian. Anyone wanting to take advantage of the offer must show a valid driver's license from the specific coastal zip codes that are under a mandatory evacuation. Tickets can only be claimed at the SunTrust ParkTicket Office windows, while supplies last, beginning at noon on Tuesday and noon on Thursday for each respective game.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said 72 nursing homes and assisted living facilities along the east coast have been evacuated. Those that were not evacuated were required to provide proof of working generators in case the power goes out. Four Florida nursing home employees, including the facility administrator and overnight nursing supervisor, were recently charged with aggravated manslaughter stemming from the 2017 deaths of 12 nursing home patients who died from sweltering conditions when the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills lost power during Hurricane Irma.

Seven hospitals along the coast were in the process of evacuating patients including Port St. Lucie Hospital, Good Samaritan Medical Center in Palm Beach and AdventHeath in New Smyrna Beach.

"The storm is about 100 miles east of West Palm Beach," said DeSantis on Monday. "As predicted, it has stalled out and will be moving about 1 mph throughout the day before it heads north" to the Florida peninsula and possibly Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina in the coming days

All counties on the east coast have issued evacuation orders and DeSantis said that process is proceeding smoothly.

"We're monitoring the traffic along the evacuation routes and haven't seen anything out of the ordinary," he said, adding that all gas stations along the evacuation routes will remain open.

The gas-tracking app GasBuddy is reporting 30.8 percent of Florida gas stations are running on empty as east coast evacuations continue in anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Dorian.

The Miami/Fort Lauderdale area is reporting the most gas stations without fuel (53 percent), while Jacksonville has 18 percent of its stations without gas.

SEE ALSO: 31 Percent Of Florida Gas Stations Running On Empty

Maj. Eric Flowers of the Indian County Sheriff's Office, which is also north of Palm Beach County, noted that some shelters are accepting pets.

"I can tell you during the last storm somebody showed up with a truckload of chickens," he recalled. "We took in the chickens."

A restoration workforce of nearly 17,000 Florida Power & Light employees as well as workers from at least 34 different states and parts of Canada is standing ready to restore power to any of the 5 million customers served by the largest of 64 utilities that serve Florida.

FPL's Bill Orlove told Patch that the power company has learned from Hurricanes Wilma in 2005, Irma in 2017 and Michael in 2018. FPL has been erecting stronger electric poles capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds. It has also shortened the distance between poles and buried some power lines underground.

"In hurricane Wilma we had 12,400 poles that were damaged," Orlove said in an interview. "In hurricane Irma it was a fraction of that. It was 4,600. That shows that the stronger more storm-resilient poles that we're putting into the system have held up which help us get the lights back on quicker."

The first official tropical-force-sustained winds in the South Florida region were recorded in Juno Beach on Monday, which is north of Palm Beach, said Warning Coordination Meteorologist Robert Molleda with the National Weather Service in Miami.

He warned that eastern Palm Beach County is particularly susceptible to the high winds of Dorian and said the hurricane may generate tornadoes.

"The best case scenario is that it moves north faster or makes a quicker turn to the north, and then we don’t end up getting much of anything," Molleda said on Sunday.

"Dorian is stationary just north of Grand Bahama Island. A slow northwestward motion is expected to occur early Tuesday. A turn toward the north is forecast by late Tuesday, with a northeastward motion forecast to begin by Wednesday night," the National Hurricane Center said at 11 p.m. Monday.

The National Hurricane said at 11 p.m. Monday that the storm is likely to continue to pound Grand Bahama Island into Tuesday morning and remain a powerful hurricane for the next several days though some weakening is expected.

"The hurricane will then move dangerously close to the Florida east coast late Tuesday through Wednesday evening, very near the Georgia and South Carolina coasts Wednesday night and Thursday, and near or over the North Carolina coast late Thursday and Friday," the National Hurricane Center said at 11 p.m. Monday.

DeSantis said his state has seen only one hurricane in its history that has rivaled the destructive force of Hurricane Dorian — more than Hurricane Andrew which made landfall at 165 mph and Hurricane Michael which reached land at 160 mph. The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 was tied with Dorian as the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, according to the National Hurricane Center.

"That was total, total destruction," DeSantis said on Sunday. "The strength of this storm cannot be underestimated. We will see tropical storm-force winds within the next 48 hours."

More information on evacuations can be found at www.floridadisaster.org/info and further down in this story.

Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended tolls on some Florida toll roads ahead of Dorian. The idea is to make it easier for Floridians and visitors to evacuate if necessary. Fees have been waived on:

• Alligator Alley
• The Turnpike Mainline (SR 91), including the Homestead Extension (SR 821)
• Sawgrass Expressway (SR 869)
• Beachline Expressway (SR 528)
• Orlando Beltway (SR 417 and SR 429)
• I-595 Express
• I-95 Express
• I-75 Express

The bustling PortMiami announced that it was closed to all vessel traffic until further notice. The port is one of the largest ports in Florida for cruise lines. Four other ports are closed as well.

Video of Abaco courtesy of Louby Georges

As Florida prepares for the worst, Attorney General Ashley Moody said her office has seen an increase in complaints related to price gouging, with about 1,400 reports so far. She said the majority of complaints were associated with water and gas prices. Some gasoline stations raised their prices by as much as $2 per gallon as competitors ran out of fuel.

SEE ALSO:

• 7.3 Million U.S. Homes At Risk From Hurricane Storm Surge: Report
• Hurricane Dorian: State Receives 1,400 Price-Gouging Complaints
• Hurricane Dorian: Governor Suspends Fares For Some Toll Roads
• Hurricane Dorian: Colleges Cancel Classes
• Hurricane Dorian: Floridians Launch Support Effort For Bahamas
• Airbnb Offers Free, Temporary Housing Across Florida, Southeast
• Hurricane Dorian: Orlando Airport To Remain Open Monday

The hurricane has made three passes over the Bahamas and has claimed five lives so far.

Storm surge is rising 18 to 23 feet above normal tide levels is carrying destructive waves onto the islands creating life-threatening conditions, according to the hurricane center. The islands have been experiencing wind gusts of 200 mph.

The Florida alerts came as the National Hurricane Center reported Dorian had tied as the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record delivering "catastrophic conditions" in the Abaco Islands.

Watch video from the Bahamas below courtesy of Shervin Stuart:

The U.S. Coast Guard reported that guardsmen assisted the Brevard County Sheriff's Office in rescuing two boaters near Sebastian Inlet in Florida on Sunday.

A tropical storm warning means tropical storm winds are expected in the area within 36 hours. A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning areas while a hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the expected first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds.

Tropical storms pack sustained surface winds from 39 to 73 mph. A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area within 36 hours. A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.

DeSantis urged his more than 21 million residents to remain vigilant despite Dorian's favorable shift from earlier forecasts.

The crew of a hurricane hunter aircraft released video of Dorian captured as they flew through the storm on Friday:

Here is some footage from our #AirForceReserve #HurricaneHunters. They have flown 18 missions into #HurricaneDorian. This is from today’s mission. pic.twitter.com/pdLWuaRXLO
— Hurricane Hunters (@53rdWRS) August 30, 2019

The wide eye of #HurricaneDorian is visible even from the #GOESEast perspective 22,300 miles away in space. While some fluctuations in intensity are possible, this major Cat. 4 storm is expected to remain a powerful #hurricane during the next few days. https://t.co/rLy6BjBSih pic.twitter.com/LtRtjRrEks

Airbnb has activated its Open Homes Program to help displaced residents and relief workers deployed to the southeast region impacted by Hurricane Dorian. The program connects hosts who are willing to provide free housing with displaced residents and disaster relief workers in the activation area. The program covers most of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and parts of Alabama.

Uber said it would provide free rides up to $20 to get Floridians to evacuation shelters but the car company planned to cease operations at midnight Monday.

The city of Miami said that all city bridges on the Miami River and the Tamiami Bridge would be left in the locked position. Brightline announced that it will suspend its higher speed train service on Monday, Sept. 2.

Dorian's ominous presence in the Atlantic has reinforced the need for additional hurricane evacuation routes throughout a state that is attracting new residents at a rate of 906 every day, a recent meeting on plans to build more toll roads in Florida highlighted. In all, Florida has five primary interstate highways, nine auxiliary interstates and 10 toll roads. Transportation planners say that's insufficient for a mass evacuation of the state.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management urged residents who need to gas up vehicles to download the @GasBuddy app to track fuel availability in their community. The state is working with the fuel industry to supply gas stations statewide.

SEE ALSO:

• Hurricane Dorian: Hillsborough County Announces Closings
• Miami Beach Suspends Sandbag Distribution
• Hurricane Dorian: Orlando Airport Cancels Monday Flights
• Study Shows Some Hurricane Dorian Evacuation Routes Inadequate
• Publix, Floridians Find Humor During Wait For Hurricane Dorian
• Florida School Closings Related To Hurricane Dorian
• Hurricane Dorian Forces Change To Rolling Stones Miami Concert
• Hurricane Dorian Creates 'Cone Of Uncertainty' Across Florida
• FSU Seminoles Game Moved From Jacksonville To Tallahassee
• Hurricane Dorian: Do You Have An Emergency Plan And What Is It?
• Dorian Could Become A Cat 3 Or Even A Cat 4; Here's Why
• Improper Use Of Portable Generators Can Have Deadly Outcome
• NOAA Expects More Hurricanes In 2019: Updated Forecast
• Polk County To Open Sandbag Filling Stations Ahead Of Dorian
• Use Of Nukes To Tame Hurricanes Among Ideas Scientists Explored

The Florida governor had previously said 2,000 soldiers and airmen with the Florida National Guard would be activated by the end of Friday and another 2,000 would be activated on Saturday out of a total of the 12,000 available.

He said on Sunday that more guardsmen were being activated, particularly to deal with possible flooding.

"The storm is getting so significant in terms of its ferocity that we've got to plan for potential search and rescue along the east coast if it comes to that," DeSantis said. "We anticipate if we were to get impacted directly, I think you are going to have a lot of flooding up and down the entire east coast of Florida."

The mayor of Miami-Dade County, Florida's most populous county, urged residents on Saturday not to take down their hurricane shutters and to continue making preparations despite the positive news regarding the forecast.

"Even if we are now under less of a threat things can change quickly," Gimenez cautioned, adding that the county has suspended the movement of residents with special needs. "We all need to prepare, to wait and to see. Just because some parts of Miami-Dade are out of the cone does not mean that we will not have hazardous weather."

The Florida governor expanded his state of emergency ahead of the storm to include all 67 counties.

Patch is tracking every move of Tropical Storm Dorian. Get all the updates on the storm by subscribing to Patch's free breaking news alerts and daily newsletters.

The governor urged Floridians to have seven days of food, medicine and water on hand and said it is likely that anyone affected by the storm will lose power as people lined up all over the state at Costco, Publix and other stores.

A number of Florida schools and colleges announced plans to extend the Labor Day holiday ahead of Dorian.

During the past few days, the employees at Publix have seen their share of stressed-out customers scrambling to fill their shopping carts with bottled water and other hurricane supplies. To help relieve the stress — and elicit some smiles — bakery staff members have used their cake decorating skills to create Hurricane Dorian-themed cakes.

Earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that weather researchers now believe there will be more hurricanes in 2019 than previously expected.

The updated hurricane season outlook calls for 10 to 17 named storms, of which five to nine are expected to become hurricanes. Two to four of those could become major hurricanes, according to NOAA.

Here is the complete list of mandatory and voluntary evacuations ordered as of 10 p.m. Monday, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management:

Brevard County - Mandatory The following residents were to begin evacuating on Monday, Sept. 2 at 8 a.m.: Those who live on the barrier islands, including areas from Kennedy Space Center south to the south beaches, and Merritt Island; those in mobile homes or manufactured housing; those in low-lying, flood-prone areas; those with special medical needs such as electrical dependence. To determine whether an address is located in an evacuation zone, visit https://bit.ly/2wKvjq0 to plug in the address at the search engine in the upper left hand corner. Shelter details were still being finalized, and will be announced later. Public shelters will be made available for general population, families wishing to bring their pets, and those with special medical needs.

Duval County - Mandatory Mandatory Evacuations for Zones A and B, as well as Huguenot and Hanna parks, effective 8 a.m. Monday, Sept. 2.. Residents who live in Zones A and B should begin to make the necessary arrangements and prepare to leave starting Monday, Sept. 2.

Flagler County - Mandatory As of Monday Sept. 2 at 8 a.m. nursing homes, ALFs, and group homes in evacuation Zones A, B, and F are required to evacuate. As of Monday 9/2 at 11 a.m. Zones A,B,F, Flood Prone Areas, Mobile / Manufactured Homes are required to evacuate by Tuesday at 3 p.m.

Glades County - Voluntary/Phased Voluntary evacuations are being ordered starting at Aug. 30 for all low lying areas, mobile home parks and RV parks for the following communities: Moore haven, Palmdale, Lakeport, Washington Park, Buckhead Ridge and Uncle Joe Fish Camp.

Hendry County - Voluntary/Phased Aug. 30. Voluntarily evacuation for residents who live in low-lying, flood prone areas as well as residents who live in RV’s or mobile homes to a safer structure. Residents are encouraged to evacuate tens of miles away from current location to secure homes of family member or friends no later than Saturday evening. Hendry County will open shelters to the public beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31. Residents who live on the eastern side of Hendry County who need to evacuate are encouraged to evacuate to shelters in LaBelle.

Highlands County - Voluntary Citizens who reside in low lying areas, mobile homes and RVs are advised to take necessary precautions in preparation of high winds and rain over the next few days.

Indian River County - Mandatory Voluntary evacuations for the barrier islands, east of US 1, manufactured homes, and substandard homes.

Martin County - Mandatory Evacuations of Zones A-B will go into affect at 1 p.m. today. This includes Hutchinson Island, Jupiter Island, Sewall's Point, low lying areas, and mobile and manufactured homes.

Nassau County - Mandatory Sept. 2 Nassau County Emergency Management will begin mandatory evacuation from Zones A, C and F beginning at 8 a.m.

Okeechobee County - Voluntary/Phased A voluntary evacuation order, effective on Sunday, Sept. 1 has been issued for residents living in RVs, mobile homes and low lying areas, and those areas prone to flooding.

Osceola County - Voluntary/Phased Osceola County issued a voluntary evacuation for low lying areas and manufactured and mobile homes to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the community.

Palm Beach County - Mandatory Starting 1 .p.m. Sunday mandatory evacuation order for those who live in Zone A and Zone B. Zone A includes mobile homes, sub-standard housing and low-lying areas prone to water intrusion. Zone B includes the barrier islands, land areas north and south of the Jupiter Inlet, and other surge-vulnerable areas south along the Intracoastal Waterway to the Broward County line.

Putnam County - Mandatory Due to intensified conditions of Hurricane Dorian, Putnam County has issued mandatory evacuation effective Sept. 2 for evacuation zone A, and low lying areas. This evacuation order also includes all persons in boats, recreational vehicles and mobile homes. For evacuation information, including route maps and evacuation zones, please visit the Putnam County Hurricane Website at www.putnam-fl.com.

Seminole County - Voluntary Voluntary evacuations have been ordered for the following residents: Residents who live in mobile or manufactured homes. Residents who live in low-lying areas. Residents who live in a flood zone.

St. Johns County - Mandatory St. Johns County has issued mandatory evacuation orders effective for 8 a.m. Monday, Sept. 2 for evacuation zones A and B, which includes the entire city of St. Augustine, the city of St. Augustine Beach, and those living on waterfront property or in flood-prone areas. In addition, the County has ordered evacuations for Hastings and Flagler Estates.

St. Lucie County - Mandatory St. Lucie County has issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents on the barrier island (North and South Hutchinson Island), those living in low-lying coastal areas and mobile homes. That order will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday (9/1/2019).

Volusia County - Mandatory Volusia County officials will issue a mandatory evacuation order at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 2, for residents who live on the beach side and in low-lying areas, RVs and mobile homes. However, residents don’t have to wait until the order is issued. If you have a place to go, it would be best to leave the area today.

Associated Press contributed to this report.