JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As Hurricane Dorian moves along Florida's Atlantic Coast with Category 2 strength, parts of Northeast Florida are currently experiencing the storm's direct impact Wednesday afternoon, but the worst of it will start to clear out by tonight.
According to the National Hurricane Center, a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for all coastal areas in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. Once a Category 5 hurricane, Dorian has weakened to a Category 2 as sustained winds fell to 105 miles per hour.
Recommended Videos
Northeast Florida is currently seeing steady rain along coastal spots from St. Johns County up to Glynn County. Neighborhoods directly west of I-95 are still getting a few outer-bands causing on and off rain which is heavy at times. The strong winds will be confined to the beaches with gusts up to 50 mph. Inland areas which are farther away from I-95 will not see much rain or wind from this storm.
Coastal areas should expect to see 3 to 6 inches, while inland areas are predicted to get between 2 to 4 inches. Storm surge for waterfront areas could range from 1 to 3 feet with the beaches potentially getting the higher end of that.
As of 2 p.m. the center of Hurricane Dorian is off the coast of Jacksonville Beach. The storm will remain a Category 2 as it moves away from Northeast Florida between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. However, it is around this time that we will watch for more flooding and higher storm tides especially in Glynn and Camden counties.
We can expect to feel the winds and rain through 8 p.m. Wednesday with gradual weather improvements in St. Johns and Flagler counties as a northwest wind begins to help push ocean waters back out. As Dorian picks up speed and heads northward, the wind and rain will quickly subside Wednesday night with skies expected to clear on Thursday.