Don’t walk out into Hurricane Dorian’s eye, authorities warn

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NOAA shared this satellite view of Dorian before it ramped up into a Category 5 storm.


NOAA

It’s a dangerous combination. People want to capture video of extraordinary experiences to share online. They also get a false sense of security when the calm eye of a hurricane passes through. But it won’t stay that way for long. 

The National Hurricane Center responded on Twitter to videos from the Abacos island group in the Bahamas that showed up on social media on Sunday. The videos came from residents who ventured out into the eye of Hurricane Dorian, a raging Category 5 storm that is kicking out maximum sustained winds of 180 mph.

One of the videos from Sunday showed wreckage spilled across the ground. “Everyone should take shelter immediately as winds will increase rapidly and unpredictably after the eye passes,” the National Hurricane Center warned.

The only people who really have business venturing into the eye of a hurricane are the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Hunters. These brave professionals fly a plane into the hurricane to gather data to help with forecasting the storm. 

The National Hurricane Center posted an epic photo from inside Dorian on Sunday. You can see part of the Hurricane Hunter aircraft and a view of the “stadium effect” within the eye. This can happen with powerful storms like Dorian and gets its name from the clouds forming high walls that make it look like you’re in the bowl of a sports stadium.

Hurricane Dorian has gained strength over the last few days. It has also shifted its path several times, making it hard to predict where exactly it might impact the East Coast of the US. Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas are all under alert. The Bahamas are currently taking the brunt of Dorian as of Sunday.


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NASA, NOAA and astronauts on the International Space Station have been tracking Dorian from orbit. Webcams located in the Bahamas, Florida and Carolinas have their eyes on the ocean, giving us a sobering view from ground level.

The National Hurricane Center’s advice for staying out of the eye goes for anyone who is experiencing a hurricane. No Twitter or Facebook video is worth putting yourself in that kind of danger.