<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://s.w-x.co/staticmaps/MAX_WEB_TROP_ATL5_ww1_1280x720.jpg" srcset="https://s.w-x.co/staticmaps/MAX_WEB_TROP_ATL5_ww1_1280x720.jpg 400w, https://s.w-x.co/staticmaps/MAX_WEB_TROP_ATL5_ww1_1280x720.jpg 800w" > Watches and Warnings (A watch is issued when tropical storm or hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours. A warning is issued when those conditions are expected within 36 hours.)

Hurricane Dorian is a threat to the entire Southeast coast and will be so for days. As the storm moves up the coast, millions of people from Florida to Virginia should be prepared to receive these alerts from the National Hurricane Center: hurricane watch, hurricane warning, tropical storm watch or tropical storm warning.

These alerts are critical indications of not only what kind of conditions Dorian will bring your way, but also how soon you should expect them to arrive.

But what do they really mean for you?

(TRACK DORIAN HERE: LATEST FORECAST)

A tip, before we break the alerts down in detail: A warning means bad conditions will arrive sooner than a watch.

Here's a rundown of each of these critical alerts and what they mean.

Hurricane Warning

(Purple in the above graphic)

If you're under a hurricane warning you should prepare for sustained winds 74 mph or greater to hit your area. These are not gusts, but a steady, damaging wind greater than 74 mph. Wind gusts often exceed sustained winds in tropical systems, so prepare for the potential for even stronger winds to hit.

Hurricane warnings are issued 36 hours in advance of when the first tropical storm-force winds (39 to 73 mph) are expected. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.

Hurricane Watch

(Orange in the above graphic)

If you're under a hurricane watch you should prepare for sustained winds of 74 mph or greater to hit your area within the next 48 hours.

As the storm nears, and if winds of 74 mph or greater are still expected in your area, hurricane watches will be upgraded to hurricane warnings to indicate that conditions will arrive sooner.

Hurricane watches are issued 48 hours in advance of when the first tropical storm-force winds (39 to 73 mph) are expected, which is when conditions become too difficult or dangerous to make outside preparations.

Tropical Storm Warning

(Red in the above graphic)

If you're under a tropical storm warning you should prepare for 39 to 73 mph sustained winds to hit your area within 36 hours. These are not gusts, but a steady, damaging wind up to 73 mph.

Tropical Storm Watch

(Yellow in the above graphic)

If you're under a tropical storm watch you should prepare for 39 to 73 mph sustained winds to hit your area within 48 hours. As the storm nears, and if winds up to 73 mph are still expected in your area, tropical storm watches will be upgraded to tropical storm warnings to indicate that conditions will arrive sooner.