Live Video Coverage: Florida coast sees Cat 3 like conditions as Hurricane Dorian moves north up the East Coast near Carolina’s.

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JACKSONVILLE (AP) — The National Hurricane Center says the deadly storm was centered at 5 a.m. EDT Wednesday about 90 miles (144 kilometers) east of Daytona Beach, Florida. It has top sustained winds of 105 mph (168 kph) as a Category 2 hurricane. The storm is moving north northwest at 8 mph (12 kph), tracking offshore and nearly parallel to Florida’s Atlantic shoreline.

Some weakening is expected during the next couple of days but Dorian is expected to remain a powerful hurricane.

The Miami-based weather center says a turn toward the north is forecast by Wednesday evening, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast on Thursday morning. The core of Dorian will move dangerously close to the Florida east coast and the Georgia coast through Wednesday night. The center of Dorian is forecast to move near or over the coast of South Carolina and North Carolina Thursday through Friday morning.

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Hurricane Dorian’s eye is passing to the east of Cape Canaveral, Florida. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the deadly storm is now about 90 miles (144 kilometers) east northeast of Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Maximum sustained winds are being clocked at 110 mph (175 kph). It’s moving to the north northwest at 7 mph (11 kph).

The Miami-based weather center says a turn toward the north is forecast by Wednesday evening, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast on Thursday morning. The core of Dorian will move dangerously close to the Florida east coast and the Georgia coast through Wednesday night. The center of Dorian is forecast to move near or over the coast of South Carolina and North Carolina Thursday through Friday morning. Earlier this week Dorian pummeled parts of the Bahamas as a Category 5 hurricane, leaving widespread devastation and at least seven people dead.

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11:00 p.m.

Hurricane Dorian continues to lash the east coast of Central Florida as a strong Category 2 storm.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Dorian is now about 95 miles (152 kilometers) east of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Maximum sustained winds are being clocked at 110 mph (175 kph). It’s moving to the north northwest at 6 mph (9 kph).

The Miami-based weather center says a turn toward the north is forecast by Wednesday evening, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast on Thursday morning. The core of Dorian will move dangerously close to the Florida east coast and the Georgia coast through Wednesday night. The center of Dorian is forecast to move near or over the coast of South Carolina and North Carolina Thursday through Friday morning.

Earlier this week Dorian pummeled parts of the Bahamas as a Category 5 hurricane, leaving widespread devastation and at least seven people dead.

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9:45 p.m.

The federal government has granted a request for a federal disaster declaration for North Carolina in anticipation of Hurricane Dorian’s impact on the state.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper requested the federal declaration on Sept. 2. Cooper says North Carolina has faced difficult storms before and is preparing for Hurricane Dorian to track up the Southeast coast this week.

Says Cooper: “We’re taking every precaution to make sure we’re prepared.” The governor adds: “I appreciate the support of our federal partners in making sure our state is ready to respond to whatever Hurricane Dorian brings.”

The U.S. National Hurricane Center adjusted its forecast tracks Tuesday, putting Dorian closer to the South and North Carolina coasts later in the week. Earlier this week Dorian pummeled parts of the Bahamas as a Category 5 hurricane, leaving widespread devastation and at least seven people dead.

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8:40 p.m.

The prime minister of the Bahamas says the death toll from Hurricane Dorian has risen to seven and that more deaths are expected.

Hubert Minnis says the deaths involved two people who were injured earlier and taken to New Providence Island. He spoke late Tuesday at a news conference.

Minnis said he flew over the Abaco Islands and expects to do the same in Grand Bahama as soon as the weather clears.

In Abaco, he saw groups of people waving yellow sheets and shirts. He said 60 percent of homes were damaged in Marsh Harbor and that at least one community was completely destroyed.

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8 p.m.

Dorian is scraping the central part of Florida’s east coast as it tracks offshore.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Dorian is now about 110 miles (180 kilometers) east of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Maximum sustained winds are being clocked at 110 mph (175 kph). It’s moving to the northwest at 6 mph (9 kph).

Dorian virtually stalled over the northwestern Bahamas in recent days as a Category 5 storm that caused widespread devastation in parts of the island archipelago. It was the most powerful hurricane on record ever to hit the Bahamas. At least five deaths were reported there though the full scope of the disaster still remains unknown.

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7:30 p.m.

Richard Halpern, of Bonita Springs, Florida, has a condo in Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama and waited out Hurricane Dorian for days in his second-floor unit.

Halpern says the noise from the storm was “very loud and constant.” He adds: “These are noises you never want to hear in your life. This lingered for such a long time that no one could be prepared for that.”

Halpern says his area was one of the few not hit by the storm surge from Dorian. But he says not far away, “we have friends who had to walk out of their homes in waist high water.”

Halpern and his wife are without power and without water and haven’t figured out a way to travel out of the island.

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6 p.m.

Hurricane Dorian is now pulling away from the northwestern Bahamas and beginning to scrape Florida’s east coast with its winds and rain.

Forecasters say Dorian was centered at 6 p.m. EDT Tuesday about 125 miles (200 kilometers) east of Melbourne, Florida. It has top sustained winds of 110 mph (175 kph) as a Category 2 hurricane. The storm is moving to the northwest at 6 mph (9 kph), tracking offshore and nearly parallel to Florida’s Atlantic shoreline.

Dorian virtually stalled over the northwestern Bahamas in recent days as a Category 5 storm that caused widespread devastation in parts of the island archipelago. It was the most powerful hurricane on record ever to hit the islands. At least five deaths were reported though the full scope of the disaster still remains uncertain.

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5:45 p.m.

Some of the first post-storm images out of Grand Bahama are showing children and elderly people huddled in the shovel of a huge bulldozer as it evacuates them to a safer area.

Practically parking over the Bahamas for a day and a half, Hurricane Dorian pounded the islands and left widespread devastation to thousands of homes earlier this week. Many people were reported trapped in their homes by high waters from what was then an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm.

Rescuers began evacuating people late Tuesday using jet skis, boats. They even brought in the large bulldozer, which carried people through deep muddy waters to safety. Many had their heads bowed down by still-heavy wind and rain.

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5:50 p.m.

Universal Orlando Resort is closing its theme parks in Florida early for the day because of Hurricane Dorian.

The theme park resort says its two parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, were shutting as of 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Other theme parks in Orlando had already made plans to close early or not open at all.

SeaWorld was closed Tuesday because of Dorian. And Walt Disney World closed its four theme parks by mid-afternoon Tuesday.

Forecasters say Dorian was centered Tuesday afternoon about 125 miles (200 kilometers) east of Melbourne, Florida with top sustained winds of 110 mph (175 kph) as a Category 2 hurricane. It’s moving to the northwest offshore from Florida’s east coast.