national hurricane center

The Category 2 hurricane is just off the coast, and its heavy winds and rains are hammering the Southeast. "If you don't need to be out," South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster says, "don't go out."

With sustained winds of 185 mph, Dorian is hitting the Bahamas as "the strongest hurricane in modern records" to hit the archipelago, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Forecasters warn, "Dorian is anticipated to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane ... into next week. Florida and Georgia have declared emergencies along the wide possible path of the storm.

In the next four days, Dorian's winds could top 115 mph — making it a Category 3 storm — the National Hurricane Center says.

The longer-range forecast calls for Dorian to reach Florida over the weekend.

Tropical Storm Dorian "is expected to be a hurricane when it moves near Puerto Rico and eastern Hispaniola" this week, the National Hurricane Center says.

An oil rig southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River is reporting sustained winds of 76 mph, with gusts up to 87 mph.

The low-pressure system is currently a few hundred miles southwest of Bermuda. It's expected to become a tropical storm well before the official hurricane season starts on June 1.

A hurricane warning — meaning hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours — is in effect from the Alabama-Florida border eastward to the Suwannee River.