JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (CN) – Mandatory evacuations were ordered on Florida’s northeast coast Monday as Hurricane Dorian unleashed massive flooding across the Bahamas, pummeling the islands 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 fearsome Category 4 storm slowed almost to a standstill as it shredded roofs, hurled cars and forced rescue crews to take shelter until the onslaught passed.
Officials said they received a "tremendous" number of calls from people in flooded homes. Forecasters warned that Dorian could generate a storm surge as high as 23 feet.
Police Chief Samuel Butler urged people to remain calm and share their GPS coordinates, but said rescue crews had to wait until weather conditions improved.
"We simply cannot get to you," he told Bahamas radio station ZNS, which shared reports from callers who said some people were stuck on roofs and in attics.
On nearby Abaco Island, Parliament member Renward Wells said he received reports of casualties but officials had not been able to confirm them.
Meanwhile in the United States, the National Hurricane Center extended watches and warnings across the Florida and Georgia coasts. Forecasters expected Dorian to stay just offshore, but meteorologist Daniel Brown cautioned that "only a small deviation" could draw the storm's dangerous core toward land.
By midday Monday, the storm's top sustained winds fell slightly to 155 mph. It was crawling along Grand Bahama Island at just 1 mph.
The water reached roofs and the tops of palm trees. One woman filmed water lapping at the stairs of her home's second floor.
In Freeport, Dave Mackey recorded video showing water and floating debris surging around his house as the wind shrieked outside.
"Our house is 15 feet up, and right now where that water is, is about 8 feet. So we're pretty concerned right now because we're not at high tide," said Mackey, who shared the video with The Associated Press. "Our garage door has already come off. ... Once we come out of it with our lives, we're happy."
In a Sunday evening news conference in Florida, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry declared a state of emergency, which took effect Monday, and ordered mandatory evacuations for flood prone-areas to start at 8 AM Monday.
“Get out now while you still have time, while there’s still fuel available and you’ll be safe on the roads,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a morning press conference.
Shelters opened Monday morning and will remain open until further notice.
All beaches are closed and officials have asked everyone to stay out of the water due to life-threatening surf and rip currents. A mandatory curfew of 10 pm to 6 a.m. is in place for beaches and a ban on alcohol sales takes effect at 10 p.m. Monday.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said bridges will close when winds reach a sustained speed of 40 mph and will not reopen until it is safe.
Many Northeast Florida schools and county offices will be closed through Wednesday.
DeSantis said FEMA is prepared and that Florida Power and Light has about 17,000 personnel ready to restore power “around the clock” after the hurricane passes. He said 72 nursing homes and assisted living facilities have been evacuated and some hospitals have begun to evacuate or have plans to evacuate.
