Dorian's attack in the Bahamas as a powerful Category 4 hurricane

TITUSVILLE, Fla (Reuters) – Hurricane Dorian is expected to hit the Bahamas on Sunday as a dangerous Category 4 storm, hammering the islands with two days of torrential rain, strong waves and strong winds before tackling the American continent.

Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis urged residents of Abaco and Grand Bahamas to head to the main island to escape the "devastating and dangerous" storm.

"I want you to remember: houses, houses and structures can be replaced. Lives can not be replaced, "he told a news conference on Saturday, adding that 73,000 people and 21,000 homes were threatened by storm surges of up to 4.6 meters.

On Saturday afternoon, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Dorian was blowing maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 km / h) and that it was about 155 km (245 km ) to the east of Abaco.

After crossing the Bahamas, he should turn northwest and save a direct blow to Florida. Communities further north in Georgia and South Carolina raised alert levels on Saturday as villagers filled sandbags while authorities tested infrastructure and exercises against hurricanes.

Despite more favorable forecasts for Florida, the city authorities have asked the population to remain vigilant and a tropical storm alert has been launched over a distance of more than 120 km (193 km) from the coast of New Caledonia. State, which means km / h) were possible within 48 hours.

Most tourists who planned to leave the Bahamas went out before the main airport closed Friday night.

Jeffrey Simmons, deputy director of the Bahamas Meteorology Department, said Dorian would cause long periods of heavy swells and storms along the north coast of Grand Bahama and the north and east coasts of Abaco.

"We are asking people in these areas to leave the coast," added Simmons. "We anticipate a storm surge of up to 15 feet. In addition to that, we have a spring tide that can increase the surge by 2 to 3 feet. "

The potential damage caused by Dorian in the Bahamas could be exacerbated by the fact that its westward movement is expected to slow down, which will keep it longer on the islands, the Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.

Grand Bahama and Abaco are centers of the flourishing tourism industry in the Bahamas. But after days of evacuation, there are only 26 tourists left in Grand Bahama, authorities said Saturday.

"In recent days, we have been asking all tourists to leave the island in anticipation of the hurricane," said Kwasi Thompson, Minister of State in Grand Bahama.