Emotions high as Carolinas, Georgia prep for Dorian

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(SOUNDBITE) (English) CHARLESTON, SC MAYOR JOHN TECKLENBURG, SAYING:

"I'm gonna start by making a comment about the Bahamas...."

Charleston, South Carolina mayor John Tecklenburg fought back tears Wednesday as his city preps for Hurricane Dorian - churning toward the southeastern coast of the U.S. after destroying large swaths of the Bahamas, especially the Abacos islands.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) CHARLESTON, SC MAYOR JOHN TECKLENBURG, SAYING:

"And I know we have an uncertainty over the next 36 hours, but I'm counting our blessings already. Those folks have really had an incredible hit. And when this storm passes, we're gonna help some folks down there."

The Carolinas and Georgia bracing for Dorian to make landfall Thursday and Friday - with states of emergencies and mandatory evacuations ordered in several counties.

Although downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane, Dorian's storm surge could rise higher than those caused by two of the deadliest hurricanes in recent history - Matthew in 2007 and Irma in 2017.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) CHARLESTON, SC MAYOR JOHN TECKLENBURG, SAYING:

"Tonight, at 1:11am, at what is early Thursday morning, the tide is projected to be at 10.3 feet. Now, in Irma, it was 9.92 feet, and in Matthew it was 9.29 feet. So tonight, in the middle of the night, it is likely we'll have more water in the streets than we had during either Irma or Matthew."

Add up to 90 mile an hour wind gusts and possibly 15 inches of rain headed Charleston's way.

Over in Jacksonville, Florida, ocean rescue teams prohibited the occasional brave soul from riding the angry seas.

While Florida skirted the worst of Dorian, beach erosion will be a lingering challenge to what is arguably the state's most valuable asset.

The storm coming just months after The Army Corp of Engineers completed a $16 million project to restore Jacksonville's beaches.

Familiar scenes of storm preparations played out in several coastal towns - sand bags and boarded up businesses accompanied by advice from those who've been through it before.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN SAYING:

"Keep your eye on the storm, and don't underestimate it."

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SECOND UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN SAYING:

"Yes, that one definitely."

(SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN SAYING:

"And pray hard - and so far that has worked a lot for us."