The National Hurricane Center now expects Hurricane Dorian to turn to the north before hitting Florida.
"Dorian should move over the Atlantic well north of the southeastern and central Bahamas today, be near or over the northwestern Bahamas on Sunday, and move near the Florida east coast late Monday through Tuesday," according to the NHC advisory.
"Residents should have their hurricane plan in place, know if they are in a hurricane evacuation zone, and listen to advice given by local emergency officials."
At the same time, forecasters now say residents further north need to start preparing.
"The risk of strong winds and dangerous storm surge is increasing along the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina during the middle of next week. Residents in these areas should continue to monitor the progress of Dorian."
There is now, no forecast risk of Dorian getting into the Gulf of Mexico.
As for winds, at 2:00pm Eastern data from an Air Force reconnaissance plane indicate that the maximum sustained winds are near 150 mph.
"Dorian is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are likely, but Dorian is expected to remain a powerful hurricane during the next few days."
