Hurricane Dorian made landfall over the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Friday morning, after battering the Bahamas for several days.

Category 5 >156 m.p.h. 4 130-156 m.p.h. 3 111-129 m.p.h. 2 96-110 m.p.h. 1 74-95 m.p.h. Tropical storm Forecasted path Hurricane winds Reported Tropical-storm winds Reported Likely Note: Areas shown as likely to receive tropical-storm-force winds have a 50 percent or higher chance of experiencing wind speeds of at least 39 miles per hour.

Storm surge was expected along the East Coast as of Friday, and could cause ruinous flooding and wipe out roads and beaches.

Potential storm surge flooding for the next three days Note: Map shows where storm surge has a 10 percent chance of exceeding one, three or six feet.

For the latest updates on the storm, follow our live coverage.

The storm finally began to move away from the Bahamas on Tuesday, after spending several days pounding the country. The composite animation below shows the storm’s movement over the past week and is based on satellite imagery.

S.C. GA. Grand Bahama FLA. Great Abaco BAHAMAS PUERTO RICO SOUTH CAROLINA GEORGIA FLORIDA Grand Bahama Great Abaco BAHAMAS CUBA PUERTO RICO HAITI DOMINICAN REPUBLIC S.C. GA. FLA. Grand Bahama Great Abaco BAHAMAS CUBA PUERTO RICO HAITI DOM. REP. S.C. GA. FLA. Grand Bahama Great Abaco BAHAMAS CUBA PUERTO RICO HAITI DOM. REP.

In North Carolina, state officials warned that heavy rain could cause dangerous flooding.

Expected rain-forecast for the next seven days

Predicting Dorian’s path has been particularly challenging for meteorologists. The National Hurricane Center uses various models that show where the storm could go using different forecasting techniques.

The map below shows the official forecast of National Hurricane Center compared to simulations from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, which are generated by running their forecast model many times using a range of initial conditions.

Potential storm paths as of Official forecast Model simulations Replay

Last Friday, President Trump approved an emergency declaration for Florida, giving the state increased federal support and resources. Last Saturday, with the predicted path of the storm having changed, the governor of South Carolina declared a state of emergency as well, followed by similar declarations for North Carolina and parts of Georgia. With the lack of clarity on where the storm will hit, Florida residents wrestled with the question of whether to stay or evacuate.

For latest updates on Hurricane Dorian, follow our live coverage.