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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 6 September 2019
Dorian grazes Carolina coast, aims for Outer Banks

Continued from Front

The damage from the
same storm that mauled
the Bahamas was merci-
fully light in many parts of
South Carolina and Geor-
gia as well, and by midaft-
ernoon many of the 1.5 mil-
lion people who had been
told to evacuate in three
states were allowed to re-
turn.
But overnight winds will
cause trees and branches
to fall on power lines, and
debris could block repair
crews from accessing
damaged lines, said Mike
Burnette senior vice presi-
dent of Electric Coopera-
tives, a North Carolina utility
provider. Customers should
prepare for prolonged
power outages, he said.
“We have a long night
ahead of us. Everyone
needs to stay in a safe
place and off the roads un-
til the storm passes,” North
Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper Mobile homes are upended and debris is strewn about at the Holiday Trav-l Park, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, in Emerald Isle, N.C, after
a possible tornado generated by Hurricane Dorian struck the area.
said. About 150 evacuees Associated Press
were camped out at Char-
lotte Motor Speedway in After leaving at least 20 winds, Dorian swept past don’t know — I’m just wait- maximum sustained winds
North Carolina, speedway people dead when it Florida at a relatively safe ing for something crazy of 100 mph (161 kph) and
spokesman Scott Cooper slammed the Bahamas distance, grazed Geor- to happen, I guess,” said was moving northeast at 10
said. with 185 mph (295 kph) gia, and then hugged the Johnson, 24. mph (16 kph). As it closed
South Carolina-North Caro- Dorian apparently in on the Eastern Seaboard,
lina coastline. spawned at least one tor- Navy ships were ordered to
“I think we’re in for a great nado in North Myrtle Beach, ride out the storm at sea,
big mess,” said 61-year-old South Carolina, damaging and military aircraft were
Leslie Lanier, who decided several homes, and anoth- moved inland. More than
to stay behind and board- er twister touched down 700 airline flights sched-
ed up her home and book- in the beach town of Em- uled for Thursday and Fri-
store on Ocracoke Island erald Isle, North Carolina, day were canceled. And
on the Outer Banks, making mangling and overturning hundreds of shelter ani-
sure to move the volumes 5 several trailer homes in a mals were airlifted from
to 6 feet off the ground. jumble of sheet metal. No coastal South Carolina to
The National Hurricane immediate injuries were Delaware. Tybee Island,
Center forecast as much reported. In coastal Wilm- Georgia, population 3,000,
as 15 inches of rain for the ington, North Carolina, just came through the storm
coastal Carolinas, with above the South Carolina without flooding. “If the
flash-flooding likely . line, heavy rain fell horizon- worst that comes out of this
In Charleston, a historic port tally, trees bent in the wind is people blame others for
city of handsome antebel- and traffic lights swayed as calling evacuations, then
lum homes on a peninsula the hurricane drew near. that’s wonderful,” Mayor
that is prone to flooding The four deaths attributed Jason Buelterman said.
even from ordinary storms, to the storm took place in By midday Thursday, coast-
Dorian toppled some 150 Florida and North Carolina. al residents in Georgia and
trees, swamped roads and All of them involved men some South Carolina coun-
brought down power lines, who died in falls or by elec- ties were allowed to go
officials said, but the flood- trocution while trimming home.
ing and wind weren’t near- trees, putting up storm shut- Still, South Carolina Gov.
ly as bad as feared. ters or otherwise getting Henry McMaster warned of
Walking along Charles- ready for the hurricane. new dangers ahead.
ton’s stone battery, college At 8 p.m. EDT, Dorian was “Don’t be surprised if there
student Zachary Johnson centered about 30 miles was water in your home.
sounded almost disap- (48 kilometers) south of You might have animals,
pointed that Dorian hadn’t Cape Fear, North Caro- snakes. You don’t know
done more. lina, near the state’s bor- what might be in there, so
“I mean, it’d be terrible if it der with South Carolina. be very careful as you re-
did, don’t get me wrong. I The Category 2 storm had turn,” he said.q