Hurricane Dorian heads for the US mainland

Officials in Volusia County, Florida, don’t expect to see tropical storm-force winds until Tuesday or Wednesday. But they still want residents to be prepared.

“The storm is projected to stay to the east of Volusia County, but we are by no means out of harm’s way,” Emergency Management Director Jim Judge said in a news conference Saturday.

Residents in mobile home parks, low-lying areas and along the beach could see mandatory evacuation orders on Monday, officials said. They anticipate opening shelters that morning at 10 a.m..

“I urge everyone to remain vigilant, continue to watch the forecasts, and keep your preparations in place,” County Manager George Recktenwald said, according to a news release.

NOAA weather satellites picked up fresh images of Dorian Saturday afternoon, showing a very strong hurricane with a well-defined eye.

“Dorian’s satellite presentation is outstanding with a distinct eye of 15 nautical miles in diameter,” the National Hurricane Center said earlier Saturday morning.

Check out the recent satellite imagery below:

Even though the center of Hurricane Dorian might not make landfall in Florida, the state could still feel its powerful winds and heavy rain.

That’s why many folks are still preparing, like 19-year-old Jonah Bryson and his girlfriend’s family in Parkland, Florida. He helped put storm shutters up on one of her family members’ homes in nearby Coral Springs.

“People are a little relieved to hear that the path is changing,” Bryson told CNN, “but are still very concerned.”

“If the hurricane really does miss this region of the state, then we’ll be able to take everything down and we’ll be safe,” he added. “But it’s important that we prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”

Jonah Bryson shared this photo of volunteers boarding up a home in Coral Springs, Florida, in preparation for Hurricane Dorian.

Bryson, who’s visiting from Atlanta, has plans to return home in the next few days, but he’s keeping an eye on the weather.

“I know I’ll be safe whether I’m here or there,” he said.

With her family prepped and ready for Hurricane Dorian’s potential arrival, Misty Massey in Lake Asbury, Florida, decided to lighten the mood a bit.

“People are starting to get anxious,” she told CNN, “so I just wanted to add a little humor for my friends and neighbors.”

Massey shared a photo on Facebook of a skeleton set up in a lawn chair with sunglasses, a drink in hand and a sign that reads, “Waiting on Dorian.”

Misty Massey said she couldn't wait to put up this year's Halloween decorations after she got prepped for Hurricane Dorian.

Massey told CNN she and her family feel good about their preparations, with a hurricane kit in their garage at all times and neighbors willing to share supplies.

She and her husband are also no strangers to hurricanes, having gone through several together, including hurricanes Irma and Matthew.

Massey added that as Dorian appears to change course, the anxiety in her community is starting to diminish a bit.

Workers install storm shutters Saturday ahead of Hurricane Dorian's arrival in Marsh Harbour on the Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas.

The Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis on Saturday called for residents in the northern islands to evacuate immediately.

“To those of you in the Cays and Grand Bahamas, I beg you, please leave,” Minnis said. “(The storm) is expected to cause devastating effects to our island.”

“If you wait until tonight, it will be too late,” he added. “Time is not on our side.”

The island of Grand Bahama could feel the effects of Hurricane Dorian by Sunday morning, Minnis warned. About 73,000 residents and 21,000 homes could be impacted, he said

“Homes, houses, structures can be replaced,” Minnis said. “Lives cannot.”

Grove Roots Brewing in Winter Haven, Florida, had to put its operations on hold this week due to Hurricane Dorian, but its staff wanted to help the community.

Instead of letting their sterilized fermenters sit empty, they decided to fill them up with 1,500 gallons of water. Now, in the event of a water crisis, members of the community of about 40,000 people can get water from the brewery.

Brewery owner Joe Dunham told CNN earlier this week:

Dunham spoke with CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield on Saturday. You can see that interview below:

CNN’s Patrick Oppmann is in Freeport, Bahamas, on the island of Grand Bahama, where he says an “eerie stillness” has taken hold.

Oppmann writes:

See his tweet below:

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster discusses rising floodwaters from Hurricane Florence in 2018 in Wallace.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order Saturday declaring a state of emergency, telling residents of his state to prepare for possible impacts by Hurricane Dorian, according to a news release from McMaster’s office.

“The executive order enables all state agencies to coordinate resources and sets into effect the State Emergency Operations Plan,” the release said.

McMaster wrote on Twitter that authorities are “working around the clock to be ready, if necessary.”

“We encourage all South Carolinians who may be impacted by Hurricane Dorian to be vigilant and prepare now – there is no reason for delay.”

Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis speaks in 2018 at the United Nations in New York.

As communities on the US mainland keep an eye on Dorian’s track, the northwestern Bahamas could get slammed, with strong winds arriving soon as Saturday night.

Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis issued a dire warning in a news conference, according to CNN affiliate WPLG, telling residents, “Do not be foolish and try to brave out this hurricane. The price you may pay for not evacuating is your life.”

Dorian is forecast to slow down over the Bahamas, creating what National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham called “an incredibly dangerous situation.”

The slowdown would mean the Bahamas could be subjected to powerful hurricane-force winds, heavy rain and storm surge for an extended period of time.

“Rain, wind and the storm surge keeps piling up,” Graham said. “Anybody viewing us from the Bahamas, listen to the local officials. I can’t stress this enough.”

Florida Power & Light spokesman Bryan Garner talks about Dorian on Saturday morning at the utility's command center.

Even though Dorian’s path has shifted, Florida residents should still prepare for “possible extensive power outages,” Florida Power & Light spokesman Bryan Garner said.

Dorian is still a dangerous and powerful storm, Garner said in a briefing at the electric utility’s command center in Riviera Beach, and residents could feel the storm’s wind bands as early as Sunday.

FPL will keep preparing as if Florida were at risk of a direct hit, Garner said. There are about 18,000 workers gathering in the state, and crews are ready to stage near the areas expected to be “hardest hit,” he said.