The Latest: Widespread blackouts as Dorian continues march

By Associated Press 08 September 2019, 12:00AM

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — The Latest on Dorian (all times local):

11:05 p.m.

Weather officials say Dorian is tearing across the Canadian Maritimes and has left about half a million customers without power.

In an 11 p.m. advisory, the U.S.-based National Hurricane Center says the post-tropical cyclone is about 60 miles (97 kilometers) south of the Magdalen Islands with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (145 kph).

Forecasters expect Dorian to produce dangerous storm surge in parts of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, southwestern Newfoundland and eastern Nova Scotia.

It is traveling north-northeast at 26 mph (42 kph).

Dorian made landfall Saturday evening about 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, a city of about 400,000 people.

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9:50 p.m.

Ferry service is returning to North Carolina's Ocracoke Island, but for now the vessels will be limited to emergency responders and other authorized personnel due to the extensive damage the island sustained from Hurricane Dorian.

In a Saturday evening news release, the North Carolina Department of Transportation says ferries will travel to and from the island Sunday and Monday.

Hyde County Emergency Services officials say a mandatory evacuation order remains in effect for the island. Residents and tourists will not be allowed to use the ferries to visit the island.

Longtime residents who waited out the storm described strong but manageable winds followed by a wall of water Friday that flooded many homes and forced some to await rescue from their attics.

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9:10 p.m.

Dorian is sweeping its way across Nova Scotia with 100 mph (161 kph) winds as hundreds of thousands of people are without power in eastern Canada.

In an 8 p.m. EDT advisory, the US-based National Hurricane Center says the storm is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northeast of Halifax, the provincial capital and home to 400,000 people.

Dorian made landfall less than two hours earlier and remains a post-tropical cyclone with winds equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane.

Forecasters say Dorian is moving northeast at 30 mph (48 kph). It's expected to move over the Gulf of St. Lawrence near Prince Edward Island later Saturday before passing near or over northern Newfoundland.

Nova Scotia Power Inc. reported more than 300,000 customers were in the dark Saturday night, including 170,000 in the Halifax area.

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8:40 p.m.

Dorian has made landfall over Nova Scotia with hurricane-force winds about 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Halifax.

The U.S.-based National Hurricane Center says Dorian came ashore Saturday at 6:15 EDT near Sambro Creek as a post-tropical cyclone. Its maximum sustained winds were 100 mph (161 kph).

Halifax is the provincial capital and home to 400,000 people. Nova Scotia Power Inc. reported more than 300,000 customers were in the dark Saturday evening.

Dorian made landfall at Cape Hatteras on North Carolina's Outer Banks on Friday morning, days after it caused devastating damage in the Bahamas.

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8:15 p.m.

Emergency officials are urging residents of Halifax, Nova Scotia, to stay home due to downed trees and power lines caused by Dorian's approach.

Nova Scotia Power Inc. reported more than 300,000 customers were in the dark Saturday evening, including 170,000 in the Halifax area.

Nova Scotia Power CEO Karen Hutt called it the largest weather event they've ever responded to.

She says 1,000 personnel are ready to restore power, but the workers have been told to stand down until it is deemed safe. Hutt says hospitals and senior centers will be tackled first.

In Prince Edward Island about 35,000 homes and businesses were without power Saturday evening, as were another 20,000 in New Brunswick.

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7:20 p.m.

Officials in North Carolina say a second death in the state has been attributed to Hurricane Dorian.

State Emergency Response Team spokeswoman Diana Kees said in an email Saturday afternoon that a 67-year-old man died Friday in Pamlico County after collapsing at his home while cleaning storm debris.

Gov. Roy Cooper offered condolences to the man's family as he spoke at a news conference.

At least five deaths in the Southeast have been blamed on Dorian. The others were men in Florida or North Carolina who died in falls or by electrocution while trimming trees, putting up storm shutters or otherwise getting ready for the hurricane.

At least 43 people have been killed in the Bahamas, where many more remain missing.

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6:10 p.m.

A large construction crane in Halifax, Nova Scotia, has toppled over onto a building under construction as Dorian approaches.

There were no immediate reports of injuries from the Saturday afternoon collapse. Toppled trees and power outages were also being reported.

In a Saturday 5 p.m. EDT advisory, the U.S.-based National Hurricane Center says Dorian is now a post-tropical cyclone, although it still has hurricane-strength winds.

Forecasters say Dorian is located about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Halifax and has maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (161 kph).

Nova Scotia Power Inc. says more than 306,000 customers are in the dark, including 160,000 in the Halifax area. The wind was gusting at over 62 mph (100 kph) by late afternoon.

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6:10 p.m.

Dorian has lashed the eastern tip of Maine with heavy rain, strong winds and high surf as the storm's remnants passed offshore.

The National Weather Service placed Down East Maine under a tropical storm warning on Saturday, and up to 3 inches (8 centimeters) of rain fell in a six-hour period in some places. Meteorologist Donald Dumont says winds gusted up to 45 to 50 mph (72 to 80 kph) a few miles offshore.

On land, several hundred homes and businesses lost power.

Acadia National Park took the precaution of closing Sand Beach and Thunder Hole, and people were warned to keep a safe distance from shore to avoid being swept away.

Ten years earlier, a 7-year-old girl died and others were injured when a wave caused by Hurricane Bill swept over sightseers at Thunder Hole.

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5 p.m.

Canadian officials now have Hurricane Dorian as a Category 1 storm.

Canadian Hurricane Centre Meteorologist Bob Robichaud said the U.S.-based National Hurricane Center saw some satellite imagery earlier Saturday around lunch hour that nudged it into a Category 2, but since then the wind speeds have weakened.

Robichaud says he expects it to make landfall in Nova Scotia in the evening.

He says Nova Scotia is already seeing power outages and toppled trees with a potential for some coastal flooding.

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4:30 p.m.

Weather forecasters in Canada say Hurricane Dorian is expected to lose strength when it makes landfall near Halifax.

Dorian strengthened Saturday to a Category 2 storm with 100 mph (155 kph) winds, up from 85 mph (140 kph), a strengthening that raised it from a Category 1 to a Category 2 storm.

Canadian Hurricane Centre meteorologist Ian Hubbard told The Associated Press that Dorian is expected to weaken and make landfall near Halifax, Nova Scotia, as a Category 1 hurricane.

The last Category 2 hurricane to hit Canada was Hurricane Juan in 2003.

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3:50 p.m.

The outer bands of Hurricane Dorian have started lashing Canada's southern New Brunswick and mainland Nova Scotia with strong winds and heavy rain.

The Canadian Hurricane Centre says the storm is expected to make landfall near Halifax later Saturday evening, unleashing a heavier barrage of torrential rain, pounding surf and howling winds.

And U.S. forecasters say it's strengthening as it approaches, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (155 kph).

Winds exceeding 55 mph (90 kph) have already been reported in parts of southwestern Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick.

Forecasters say the storm is likely to uproot trees and bring the possibility of flash flooding, as well as likely power outages.

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2:20 p.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard says it has rescued a total of 290 people in the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian.

The Coast Guard said Saturday that six MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters are carrying out search and rescue missions and providing logistical support. It says nine Coast Guard cutters are also helping in the Bahamas.

The Coast Guard says Bahamian emergency officials and security forces are in charge of search and rescue efforts.

The United Nations says eight tons of food supplies are to arrive by ship Saturday. U.N. World Food Programme spokesman Herve Verhoosel says 14,700 ready-to-eat meals as well as logistical and telecommunications equipment are being delivered.

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1:50 p.m.

Weather forecasters say Hurricane Dorian is picking up strength as it approaches Canada.

In its latest advisory, issued before 2 p.m. EDT on Saturday, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said the hurricane's maximum sustained winds had increased to 100 mph (155 kph) from 85 mph (140 kph), raising it one notch from a Category 1 to a Category 2 storm.

The storm was centered about 140 miles (225 kilometers) south-southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and 180 miles (290 kilometers) southeast of Eastport, Maine.

Forecasters say the center of Dorian is expected to move across central or eastern Nova Scotia late Saturday afternoon or early evening, pass near or over Prince Edward Island late Saturday, and then move to Newfoundland and Labrador on Sunday.

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1:20 p.m.

More than 1,100 Bahamians have arrived in Palm Beach, Florida, after being evacuated by cruise ship from their hurricane-battered islands.

The Grand Celebration cruise ship returned to its home port after setting sail Thursday for Freeport, Grand Bahama, to deliver more than 112 tons of supplies and ferrying dozens of health workers and emergency crews.

Hurricane Dorian produced catastrophic damage across the Bahamas as a Category 5 storm. The resulting humanitarian crisis has prompted a massive relief effort.

The cruise line industry is aiding the relief effort by sending ships to transport food, water and personnel to the islands, while rescuing Bahamians looking to flee the devastation.

Officials with Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, which operates the Grand Celebration, said the arriving Bahamians were welcomed to Florida by relief agencies.

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12:10 p.m.

Officials in North Carolina say search-and-rescue teams are going door to door to check on people who may be injured or in need of assistance after Hurricane Dorian swamped Ocracoke Island with floodwaters.

Gov. Roy Cooper's office said in a news release Saturday that emergency officials have transported fuel trucks, generators, and food and water to Ocracoke, which is accessible only by boat or air.

Dorian made landfall Friday morning over the Outer Banks. According to the governor's office, the U.S. Coast Guard flew seven air rescue missions to transport people with medical conditions on Ocracoke to safety, and first responders evacuated 32 people elsewhere on the Outer Banks by ground.

The news release says about 200 people were in shelters and about 57,000 were without electricity as of midday.

There have been no reports of serious injuries or deaths since the storm arrived.

The governor was visiting coastal counties Saturday to view the damage.

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11 a.m.

Hurricane Dorian has accelerated its approach as it heads toward Canada, where it is expected to weaken.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said in its advisory at 11 a.m. EDT that the storm is moving northeast at 29 mph (46 kph), up from 25 mph (41 kph) earlier Saturday morning.

While it remains classified as a Category 1 hurricane, Dorian is expected to fade to a tropical storm by the time it moves across Nova Scotia.

Regardless of its status, Dorian is expected to bring hurricane conditions to eastern Nova Scotia and western Newfoundland beginning late Saturday. Hurricane warnings are in effect for both areas. A hurricane watch is in effect for Prince Edward Island and the Magdalen Islands.

Tropical storm warnings have been discontinued for the coast of Massachusetts, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

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10:20 a.m.

High winds and rough seas from Hurricane Dorian have prompted the cancellation of ferry service to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket in Massachusetts.

The Steamship Authority says ferries to the two islands will not be running Saturday morning because of the weather conditions, but some service is scheduled to resume in the afternoon and evening.

Dorian brought tropical storm-force winds to Cape Cod and the islands on Saturday as it passed near southeastern Massachusetts on its way toward Nova Scotia.

Eversource reported more than 1,000 power outages in and around Cape Cod on Saturday morning.

The National Weather Service says a buoy off Nantucket reported sustained winds of 56 mph (90 kph) and gusts of up to 81 mph (130 kph) on Saturday morning.

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10:20 a.m.

The eastern coast of Maine is under a tropical storm warning with the potential for wind gusts up to 45 mph, power outages, dangerous surf and beach erosion.

The National Weather Service said the warning caused by Hurricane Dorian passing offshore applied Saturday to areas east of Bar Harbor.

Meteorologist Donald Dumont of the National Weather Service in Caribou warned people to keep a safe distance from the rocky shore to avoid "sneaker waves" that might sweep them into the ocean.

Acadia National Park took the precaution of closing Sand Beach and Thunder Hole. Ten years earlier, a 7-year-old girl died and others were injured when a wave caused by Hurricane Bill swept over sightseers at Thunder Hole.

The effects of Dorian were expected subside by late Saturday evening in Maine.

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8:45 a.m.

Weather forecasters expect a weakening Hurricane Dorian to arrive off the southeastern Canada coast with hurricane-force winds, heavy rain, and dangerous storm surge.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said at 8 a.m. EDT that even if the Category 1 hurricane downgrades to a tropical storm, hurricane conditions are expected in portions of eastern Nova Scotia and western Newfoundland by late Saturday or early Sunday.

Canadian Hurricane Centre meteorologist Ian Hubbard said the storm is expected to lose its hurricane status as it crosses Nova Scotia. It is expected to make landfall in Nova Scotia between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. EDT.

Forecasters said that as the storm exits the United States, tropical storm conditions will whisk through portions of southeastern Massachusetts and Maine.

Maximum sustained winds on Saturday were clocked at 85 mph (about 140 kph), moving northeast at 25 mph (41 kph).

Hurricanes in Canada are somewhat rare in part because once the storms reach colder Canadian waters, they lose their main source of energy.

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5:20 a.m.

Tropical storm-force winds are ruffling southeastern Massachusetts as Hurricane Dorian continues to move north.

Early Saturday, the center of the weakening Category 1 storm was around 145 miles (233 kilometers) southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and around 410 miles (660 kilometers) southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The storm, which is moving at northeast at around 25 mph (40 kph), is expected to produce hurricane conditions in parts of the Canadian province later Saturday.

The Canadian Hurricane Center has adjusted its warnings for Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Quebec's Lower North Shore. A hurricane warning is in effect parts of eastern Nova Scotia and western Newfoundland and a hurricane watch is in effect for Prince Edward Island and the Magdalen Islands. A tropical storm warning is in effect for other parts of the Canadian provinces as well as portions of Massachusetts and Maine.

The storm's top sustained winds are near 85 mph (137 kph).

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5:10 a.m.

Stranded residents of North Carolina's Outer Banks are beginning to assess the damage wrought by Hurricane Dorian.

Steve Harris has lived on Ocracoke Island for most of the last 19 years. He's ridden out eight hurricanes, but he said Friday that he'd never seen a storm bring such devastation to his community.

Harris lost his car to the storm and his air conditioning is damaged, but he said he's blessed that his condominium is on the third floor and he is insured.

The U.S. Coast Guard began landing local law enforcement officers on the island Friday via helicopter and airlifting out the sick, elderly and others in distress.

By Friday evening, Gov. Roy Cooper said officials weren't aware of serious injuries from the storm on the Outer Banks.

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For more of AP's coverage of Hurricane Dorian, go to: https://apnews.com/Hurricanes

By Associated Press 08 September 2019, 12:00AM

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