Unsure where Hurricane Dorian is going to land next week, many Florida residents faced a sense of helplessness as they prepared for what President Donald Trump said could be an βabsolute monsterβ of a storm.
Florida residents picked the shelves clean of bottled water and lined up at gas stations Thursday as an increasingly menacing-looking Hurricane Dorian threatened to broadside the state over Labor Day weekend.
Dorian will likely become a major hurricane sometime this week.
Dorian became a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday as it struck the U.S. Virgin Islands, with forecasters saying it could grow to Category 3 status as it nears the U.S. mainland as early as the weekend.
Tropical Storm Dorian threatened Puerto Rico with a direct hit at near-hurricane force on Wednesday and forecasters said it could strengthen further as it approaches the U.S. mainland.
Thousands of people are without power after strong storms moved across the Iredell and Catawba County regions Wednesday evening.
The newly formed system is not a threat to land.
NOAA forecasters monitoring oceanic and atmospheric patterns say conditions are now more favorable for above-normal hurricane activity since El Nino has now ended.
The heating and air conditioning in Carrie Johnsonβs home β damaged by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 β still wasnβt fixed when Hurricane Florence flooded her house last September. Now, her home of over 50 years is gutted, the flooring and walls nothing more than bare wooden beams smelling faintly of river water.
Homeowners sandbagged their doors and tourists trying to get out of town jammed the airport Friday as Tropical Storm Barry began rolling in with the potential for an epic drenching that could prove whether New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana learned the lessons of Hurricane Katrina over a decade ago.
Tropical Storm Barry formed off the coast of Louisiana on Thursday and threatened to blow ashore as a hurricane with relatively weak winds but torrential rains that could test the flood-control improvements made in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina 14 years ago.
Three cars were crushed Thursday night after a tree fell during strong evening storms that moved through the area.
Christian Maddox was stunned when he walked into his house at Riverside Drive and Lake Drive. He hasn't been there since Sunday afternoon, when the water levels on the Catawba River in Northwest Charlotte started rising.
To assist with recovery efforts, Catawba County Emergency Services is asking Catawba County residents with storm-related damage to their home to complete a Catawba County Damage Assessment Program application.
After declaring a State of Emergency Sunday, Governor Roy Cooper gives an update on the flood warnings and rescue efforts in portions of the piedmont and western North Carolina.
Evacuations are underway in northwest Charlotte after weekend rain causes flooding along the Catawba River.
