Hurricane Dorian has regained strength and became a category 3 storm overnight Thursday, as it moves north along the U.S. East Coast, bringing torrential rain and wind to the region.
According to the latest advisory released by the National Hurricane Center Thursday morning, the hurricane is located about 110 km southeast of the city of Charleston, South Carolina, causing 102 km per hour gusts of wind in the city.
The coastline stretching from South Carolina to southern Virginia is prone to storm surge in the next 36 hours, the advisory said, warning local residents to take all necessary actions to prepare for "life threatening danger."
The state of South Carolina is expecting six of its counties to feel the impact of the hurricane sometime on Thursday, with 200,000 people reportedly losing power in the state as of Thursday morning.
Some regions in the state are expected to receive 13 cm of rain Thursday, according to local reports.
The hurricane has already caused some 20 fatalities in the Bahamas, where it made landfall on Sunday as a category 5 hurricane.
