Major Hurricane Dorian is finally inching away from Grand Bahama Island after stalling and causing catastrophic flooding and wind damage there on Labor Day. Looking at the latest update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), housed inside FreightWaves SONAR Critical Events, Dorian was centered 105 miles east of Force Pierce, Florida. Although Dorian is weakening, It remains a powerful high-end Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. This is as of 11:00 a.m. EDT today, September 3, 2019.

Dorian's eye should gradually move north of Grand Bahama Island through this evening. The hurricane could then move dangerously close to the east coast of Florida tonight through Wednesday evening, very close to the Georgia and South Carolina coasts Wednesday night and Thursday, then near or over the North Carolina coast late Thursday into Friday. Several U.S. ports have closed in anticipation of Dorian's arrival, airports have been shutting down and truckers have been moving relief and recovery supplies into position so they're ready to help in damaged areas after the storm passes.

The odds of Dorian making a direct landfall in the U.S. are decreasing, except perhaps for North Carolina. But as long the eye stays close to shore or hugs the coastline, extensive damage would result from destructive winds, torrential rainfall and several feet of storm surge. Hurricane-force winds currently extend outward up to 45 miles from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds of 39 to 73 mph extend outward up to 160 miles. The NHC has issued hurricane/tropical storm Watches and Warnings for Florida's east coast north of Miami through most of the South Carolina coast.