Hurricane Dorian Updates: Storm Strengthens to Category 5

The storm reaches ‘catastrophic’ strength with 175 mph winds.

As Hurricane Dorian drew near to the Abaco Islands in the northwestern Bahamas early Sunday morning, the National Hurricane Center said that the maximum sustained winds around the eye of the storm had reached 175 – miles an hour, making it a “catastrophic” storm with “devastating winds.”

It is moving westward fairly slowly – 8 miles an hour – and would soon be moving over Great Abaco, and then continue near or over Grand Bahama later Sunday or early Monday, forecasters said. Storm surge as much of 15 to 20 feet was possible, enough to swamp many low-lying areas of the islands, and that as much as 25 inches of rain could fall before the storm passes.

As the storm moved toward the Abaco Islands, wind gusts of more than 200 miles an hour were recorded, the National Hurricane Center said. It warned that “extreme winds and storm surge will continue for several hours.”

Prime Minister Hubert Innis said Saturday that 73, 000 residents and 21, 000 homes would be affected by the storm.

The Bahamas prides itself in withstanding powerful storms, but this hurricane brings greater dangers than most. Meteorologists warned of a storm surge that wouldraise water levels as much as 15 feet to 20 feetabove normal, as well as the possibility of more than two feet of rainfall in some areas. Much of the island nation is low-lying, and some areas could be completely flooded.

“We will pray and hope for the best, but plan for the worst, ”Michael Pintard, the Bahamian minister of agriculture, said in a text message on Saturday evening.

Residents hunkered down in schools, churches and other emergency shelters, but there was concern that some would try to brave the storm in their homes.“Some people are saying that they’re not going to go because they have nowhere to go,” Frankie Fleuridor, an activist who works with Haitians living on Great Abaco, said on Saturday.

“It’s tough for people in the shantytowns, ”he said, because their plywood houses are not built to withstand hurricane-force winds and are prone to flooding. Mr. Fleuridor said that he had rented hotel rooms for the most vulnerable people, but could not afford to do more. “I’m maxed out,” he said.– Elisabeth Malkin

The storm is expected to turn northward, raking the United States coast.

Forecasters expect the storm to creep nearer to the coast of Florida through Monday and then swing northward, paralleling the mainland coast. Though it may not make landfall all week if it follows that track, its strong winds and heavy rains, storm surge and punishing surf could still have the potential to do major damage in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.

The National Hurricane Center posted a tropical storm watch on Sunday for the Florida coast from Deerfield Beach to Sebastien Inlet , meaning that storm-force winds are expected there within 36 hours. “Heavy rains, capable of producing life-threatening flash floods, are possible,” the center said.

People are vacationing at Disney World despite storm warnings.

Families arrived in Orlando this weekend carrying Disney-themed suitcases, wearing Mickey Mouse ears and closely monitoring Hurricane Dorian’s path as they plowed ahead with long-planned vacations to Walt Disney World.

The theme park complex is mostlyoperatingnormally, though its Blizzard Beach Water Park was closed as a precaution on Sunday.

Cierra and Louis Gosselin, who live in Bermuda, booked their nine-day vacation at Disney World more than seven months ago for their wedding anniversary and were especially excited to visit Galaxy Edge, a new Star Wars-themed section of Disney World thatopenedon Thursday.

The couple has been keeping a close eye on the latest hurricane models and said they were hopeful Dorian would not have much effect on their visit. But just in case, they rented a car and are ready to evacuate if necessary.

“I think we ‘re a little less intimidated because we live in Bermuda, ”said Ms. Gosselin, an accounting consultant. “We’re more accustomed to the hurricanes, and we know what to do.”

She joked that her biggest fear was that the park’sreplicaof the Millennium Falcon, the Star Wars spacecraft, would be swept up by the storm.

Daniel and Kristin Russell arrived in Orlando on Saturday from Grand Rapids, Mich., With their four-year-old daughter, who is particularly excited for the “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party” event.

Russell said the family had considered canceling, but decided to go ahead with the trip when forecasts began yo indicate that the hurricane may not make landfall in Florida.

“We had lots of friends and family that told us it might not be good to go, but we kept watching it, and we don’t think it’s going to be a problem now,” he said.