PALM BAY, Fla. – Hurricane Dorian continues to carve a large path of damage across the Bahamas, with multiple U.S. states in the crosshairs.
Dorian was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane, which means it has wind speeds as high as 110 mph. Despite being downgraded, the storm still poses intense threats of storm surge, as well as potentially catastrophic flooding, leaving multiple states on high alert.
Even though it's not expected to give another direct hit, the impact is still a force to be reckoned with. Images shared with Local 4 by Ned Meloni, brother of Local 4's Rod Meloni, show boarded-up homes and businesses in Florida.
Some Michigan residents have homes or family in the Hurricane's path. Ned Meloni lives in Palm Bay, Florida, just south of the Space Center. He has lived there for 17 years and has been through many storms.
"I went to the store on Wednesday night and there was nothing on the shelves already, which got me concerned because everybody else was a lot more hurricane-conscious than I was," Ned Meloni said.
"Some people have shutters. We have boards fitted for the house. Sometimes, you forget about tappets for cement and then there's the standard stuff, like you leave gasoline in the generator for a year and it turns to water. You've got to get the carburetor clean," he said.
"People are kind of nasty in the beginning and once everyone's got everything they need, the last couple days, everyone's been pleasant. But, yeah, it's a challenge. I mean, trying to find things. We could still lose power, possibly, but you try and find everything," he said.
Watch the video above for the full report from Local 4 News at 6.