Hurricane Dorian regained its Category 3 status late Wednesday night as it makes its way toward the Carolinas.

The storm had briefly lost some of its strength after battering the Bahamas, but has intensified to maximum sustained winds near 115 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

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The agency expects Dorian to continue moving closer to the coast of South Carolina throughout the day and then along or over the coast of North Carolina Thursday night into Friday.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) declared a state of emergency on Tuesday and issued evacuation notices for several counties.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) urged residents to complete storm preparations on Wednesday and a federal disaster declaration has been issued.

The first storm-related fatality in the U.S. was recorded Wednesday when an 85-year-old man fell off a ladder while preparing his Columbus County home for Dorian, according to Cooper.

Virginia has also declared a state of emergency as the storm continues to make its way up the Eastern Seaboard.

"I am declaring a state of emergency to ensure that localities and communities have the appropriate level of assistance, and to coordinate the Commonwealth's response to any potential impact from Hurricane Dorian," Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said Tuesday.