Hurricane Dorian continues to pummel the Bahamas, and Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said at least five people have been killed by the storm, the New York Times reports.
The latest: The National Hurricane Center said at 5 pm ET Monday that Dorian "has become nearly stationary" and is "expected to remain a powerful hurricane during the next couple of days" even as it weakens.
- Emergency responders said thousands of homes in the northern Bahamas were damaged or destroyed, according to the NYT. The Associated Press reports that the storm lashed the Bahamas "with so much wind and water that authorities urged people to find floatation devices and grab hammers to break out of their attics if necessary."
- The NHC extended a hurricane warning to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and a hurricane watch was in effect north to the South Santee River in South Carolina. A watch means the storm's outer bands of tropical storm-force winds could hit the U.S. mainland in the next 48 hours.
- Orlando International Airport will close on Tuesday, and much of Disney World will close Tuesday afternoon, per CNN.
- Dorian's winds dropped to 145 miles per hour Monday afternoon, according to the NHC's 5 pm update.
- It's expected to move slowly to the west and northwest into early Tuesday, then gradually turn to the northwest by late Tuesday, according to the NHC. By Wednesday night, it's expecting to start shifting toward the northeast.
- Dorian is forecast to move "dangerously close" to Florida's east coast late Tuesday through Wednesday night, before moving "dangerously close" to the George and South Carolina coasts on Wednesday night and Thursday.
- Mandatory evacuations have begun in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia. A state of emergency has been called in North Carolina.
- The storm is now tied as the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record.
Go deeper:
- The latest updates from NOAA
- Puerto Rico Gov. Rosselló's scandals threaten recovery from Hurricane Maria
This story is being updated with the latest information. Check back for details....