Approaching the United States, Hurricane Dorian Downgraded to Category 2

By the end of the afternoon, more than 200,000 sites were without power in South Carolina, according to authorities. Thirty-three shelters were opened.

Hurricane Dorian was downgraded again this Thursday in category 2 on a scale of five, with winds reaching 175 km / h, according to the latest data from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), based in Miami.

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After devastating the Bahamas, where twenty people died, Dorian's eye is now 75 kilometers from Charleston, South Carolina, says NHC in its 11-hour bulletin (17 hours in Paris). Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Hubert Minnis, spoke of a "generational devastation". The United Nations, meanwhile, estimated Wednesday night that about 70,000 people "need immediate help".

More than 200,000 private electric power sites

At about five o'clock in Charleston, the wind was shaking the trees violently, and the torrents of water were falling.

Power lines and trees collapsed and the arrival of water pushed the authorities to close roads, also tweeted the Charleston County Sheriff's Office.

By the end of the afternoon, more than 200,000 sites were without power in the state, according to authorities, where 33 shelters were opened. The water had already invaded some streets. A flood alert is in effect in the city and around until 1:15 pm Thursday (7:15 pm in Paris), according to the city's meteorological services. According to the NHC, the hurricane is moving north-northeast at 13 km / h.

The worst is to be feared: Dorian will continue to move this Thursday near the coast of South Carolina, then could pass next to or above North Carolina tonight and Friday. NHC warns of "increased risk" of "tornadoes" (swirl of extremely violent winds) on eastern North Carolina this Thursday.

The US president had called on Wednesday the population to remain cautious. Several parts of the southeastern coast of the United States, where millions of people live, have been placed under a state of emergency. Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued in several areas.