Governor Ron DeSantis praised Floridians and emergency responders for their level of preparedness Thursday after Hurricane Dorian passed the First Coast.
"We all did the right thing to take this storm very seriously and prepare accordingly," said DeSantis.
In terms of damage, DeSantis said early estimates indicate tens of millions of dollars in damage along the coasts and beaches. The damage is expected to be less than what was experienced during Hurricane Matthew.
According to Gov. DeSantis, two people died during the course of Hurricane Dorian. One person died while trying to trim trees, and an elderly man passed away in a shelter.
Because Dorian's impact was much more significant in the Bahamas than the First Coast, Gov. DeSantis announced the state will move some of the water stored for hurricane season to the islands to aid relief.
He also encouraged people with travel plans to the Bahamas to check on their properties, resorts and homes before cancelling trips. Not everyone island was impacted like Grand Bahama, and tourism can help jump start their recovery effort, DeSantis explained.
READ MORE: How the First Coast can help the Bahamas
As of 8 a.m. Thursday, Dorian is still a Category 3 storm. It was moving north-northeastward at 8 mph with its center about 170 miles south-southwest of Wilmington, North Carolina.
Several tornadoes have been confirmed as of early Thursday morning in the coastal Carolinas. They can also expect up to a foot of rain, dangerous storm surge, and hurricane-force winds onshore.
