hurricane

Wind speeds of at least 74 mph are considered hurricane force for a category 1 storm.

The 25th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season was expected to blow ashore on Friday with winds of up to 100 mph (160 kph).

Storm surges penetrated as much as 40 miles inland in southwest Louisiana.

As the storms approached, homeowners and tourists were leaving the barrier island of Grand Isle, south of New Orleans.

At least five deaths have been blamed on the storm in the Southeastern U.S. and one in Puerto Rico.

At 11 a.m. EDT Thursday, Dorian was centered about 50 miles southeast of Charleston, moving north at 8 mph.

The hurricane is about 100 miles east of West Palm Beach, Florida.

Major airlines began allowing travelers to change their reservations without a fee.

Several hundred customers were without power across Puerto Rico, said Ángel Figueroa, president of a union that represents power workers.