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Hurricane Dorian lingering over the Bahamas, outer bands reaching parts of Florida

A damaged car sits amid the damage in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas.
Posted at 6:29 AM, Sep 03, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-03 06:29:30-04

(CNN) -- Hurricane Dorian is barely moving Tuesday morning as it continues to lash Grand Bahama Island with fierce winds.

As it lingers over the Bahamas -- just 105 miles away from West Palm Beach -- the storm is carving a path of devastation: knocking homes to the ground and claiming the lives of at least five people, among them an 8-year-old boy.

"It's utter destruction everywhere we look," Bahamas resident Sharon Rolle told CNN.

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Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said many homes, businesses and other buildings have been completely or partially destroyed, calling the devastation "unprecedented and extensive."

Dorian -- now downgraded to a Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds -- will remain stationary over Grand Bahama Island through late Tuesday morning when it will begin to head north, CNN meteorologist Robert Shackelford said. It is still forecast to approach Florida Tuesday night through Wednesday evening, pass very near the Georgia and South Carolina coasts Wednesday night and then roll "near or over" the North Carolina coast late Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said.

Dorian no longer poses a threat to Florida in terms of landfall, but coastal residents will still feel the impacts, Shackelford said.

"Widespread tropical storm force gusts, heavy rain and heavy storm surge are still in the forecast for the Florida coast for the next couple of days," all of which can lead to power outages, flooding and other disasters, he said.

The state will continue feeling the storm's effects Tuesday with expected heavy rains, the National Weather Service said.

"An additional rain band from #Dorian is moving inland to Palm Beach county," the weather service said. "Gusty winds and heavy rain will occur, and if this rain falls over areas with pre-existing ponded water, localized flooding may develop."

Rains capable of flooding regions of the southeast and lower mid-Atlantic US would continue through Friday, the weather service said.

The-CNN-Wire
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