Hurricane Dorian hits Outer Banks: How mid-Atlantic tourist spots are being affected

Hurricane Dorian finally made landfall in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, on Friday morning as a Category 1 storm, several days later and hundreds of miles north of where it was originally anticipated to strike.

Cape Hatteras lies near the bottom end of the Outer Banks, a 200-mile chain of narrow barrier islands off the coasts of North Carolina and Virginia that are hugely popular with mid-Atlantic residents.

"Life-threatening storm surge and dangerous winds will continue along portions of the North Carolina coast portions of southeastern Virginia and the southern Chesapeake Bay for the next several hours," the National Weather Service warned in a bulletin.

Though Dorian's latest forecast cone doesn't go directly through the Massachusetts beach communities of Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, those areas may still feel its impact in the form of storm surges and hurricane-force winds Friday night.

Come Saturday, the National Hurricane Center predicts the storm will bring strong winds into the Northeastern Canadian regions of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.

Here's a look at how the storm has affected some popular destinations in the area heading into the weekend.

North Carolina

Outer Banks: All North Carolina barrier islands remain under a mandatory evacuation order that took effect Wednesday. This includes the beaches at Corolla, Duck, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head all the way down through Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke.

On Friday, the National Hurricane Center warned that areas from Salter Path to Duck could see storm surges between four and seven feet.

Wilmington: The city remains under an evacuation order. Wilmington International Airport reopened Friday morning with Delta flights resuming at 11:30 a.m. EDT; however, the airport noted on Twitter that American and United will not resume flights there until Saturday. Passengers are urged to contact their airlines for flight status updates before heading to the airport.

Other airports: Coastal Carolina Regional Airport in New Bern was schedule to reopen at noon EDT Friday, flight-tracking site FlightAware.com reported; however, the airport's social media has not confirmed that has happened.

South Carolina

On Friday, Gov. Henry McMaster lifted evacuation orders, allowing residents and visitors to return to the state's coastal areas and islands. However, the South Carolina Emergency Management Department warned that they may face lengthy travel times due to blocked roads and detours.

The agency added, "While weather conditions have improved in the state, motorists should be cautious of fallen trees, downed power lines, and standing water in and around roadways. Power outages continue to affect some coastal areas, and returning citizens may continue to experience outages."

Airports: Both Charleston International Airport and Myrtle Beach International Airport resumed operations on Friday. The Port of Charleston has also reopened.

Virginia

“Tropical storm force winds, storm surge, heavy rains and flooding from this hurricane will impact much of eastern Virginia overnight and tomorrow," Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday.

Virginia Beach: The Virginia Department of Emergency Management says a tropical storm warning, with winds up to 73 mph, remains in effect for the Hampton Roads area, which encompasses Virginia Beach, Newport News and the U.S. naval base at Norfolk.

In a Friday morning tweet, the National Hurricane Center said the Hampton Roads area could see storm surges up to four feet.

According to its social media accounts, Norfolk International Airport is open; however, it tweeted that Allegiant, American, Frontier, Southwest and United have canceled Friday flights in and out of the airport. Delta is running a limited schedule.

Monuments, theme parks and other attractions: Colonial Williamsburg has canceled outdoor activities through Friday. Yorktown Battlefield and Jamestown are closed Friday.

Busch Gardens, also located in Williamsburg is expected to be open Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. Kings Dominion, located in the Richmond area, will be open Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Maryland

Eastern Shore: On Thursday, the National Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning for Dorchester, St. Mary’s, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties.

Ocean City: As of 6 a.m. EDT Dorian, which is moving northeast at just 14 mph, was still some 270 miles southwest of Ocean City Friday morning, reported The Salisbury Daily Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. The surrounding county of Worcester remains under a coastal flood watch through Friday night, the newspaper added.

Port of Baltimore: The Cruise Maryland Terminal, the embarkation point for Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas and Carnival's Pride, is open.

Massachusetts

Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard: The National Weather Service says these coastal areas are under a tropical storm warning, with peak wind gusts of up to 60 mph and heavy rainfall overnight into Saturday morning. The agency predicts Nantucket will see the worst conditions.

As a result, the Massachusetts Steamship Authority, which regulates ferry service between the mainland and the islands, has canceled some Saturday service.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Dorian hits Outer Banks: How popular spots are faring