Hurricane Dorian has strengthened into a Category 5 storm Sunday packing 160 mph winds as it tears through the northern Bahamas and threatens the eastern coast of the United States, the National Hurricane Center announced.

“Everything we see is showing it getting stronger and larger,” the NHC’s Eric Blake warned in a briefing Sunday morning.

The center said the “catastrophic hurricane” would hit the Abaco Islands with “devastating winds” and potential storm surges of 20 feet as well as up to 30-inches of rainfall.

The devastation is expected to be worse because Dorian is slowing down and will hover over the areas she is battering.

“You’re talking a major hurricane over the Bahamas for 30 hours plus,” warned the hurricane center’s director, Ken Graham, calling it a “very treacherous, very dangerous, life-threatening situation” for the islands.

“It’s gonna be very bad for the Bahamas,” he said.

The center said the “catastrophic hurricane” would hit the Abaco Islands with “devastating winds” and potential storm surges of 20 feet as well as up to 30-inches of rainfall possible.

Dorian is heading west through the warm Caribbean waters and is expected to lash Florida with destructive winds, torrential rain and a life-threatening storm surge in the coming days.

The hurricane center has also issued a warning for Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina to remain alert as Dorian is expected to bring heavy rain and the possibility of flash floods.

“The entire week we’re going to be talking about this hurricane,” Graham said of the slow-moving destruction.

“We have to be ready for this storm — a very powerful, dangerous storm.”