Canadian government says to avoid all travel to Bahamas, Florida as Hurricane Dorian lands

A man stands on a store's roof as he works to prepare it for the arrival of Hurricane Dorian in Freeport on Grand Bahama, Bahamas, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019. Hurricane Dorian intensified yet again Sunday as it closed in on the northern Bahamas, threatening to batter islands with Category 5-strength winds, pounding waves and torrential rain. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

The Canadian government has issued stern travel warnings for the Bahamas, as well as parts of Florida, as Hurricane Dorian is set to hit both regions.

Travel advisories were issued Sunday afternoon as the Category 5 hurricane made landfall in the Bahamas, with wind speeds reaching 297 km/h. Gusts of that strength can rip trees from their root and potentially flatten homes.

The government has urged all Canadians to avoid any travel to the Bahamas, which is the highest warning they can issue.

“Avoid all travel” is described by officials as “an extreme risk to your personal safety and security. If you are already in the country, territory or region, you should consider leaving if it is safe to do so,” the warning states.

As for Florida, the warning is more specific, stating to avoid all non-essential travel to the east coast of the state and that “you should reconsider your need to travel to the country, territory or region.”

According to the Associated Press, this is the second-strongest hurricane since 1950 and the National Hurricane Center describes the expected extreme weather as "life-threatening" and "devastating".

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