'Not sure that I've ever even heard of a Category 5'

Donald Trump lashed out at Sadiq Khan on Tuesday after the London mayor mocked him for playing golf as Hurricane Dorian edged closer to the USA mainland. That same month, Hurricane Maria devastated the United States territory of Puerto Rico, leaving behind an island that is still struggling to recover.

The Bahamas are also facing a risky storm surge.

"We are in the midst of a historic tragedy in parts of our northern Bahamas", Minnis said at a news conference.

At nearly the same time, Trump was speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House.

In addition to tweets about the storm, Trump tweeted attacks on the media and his political opponents including the Democrats, former FBI Director James Comey and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.

Trump on Sunday tweeted that Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama would "most likely be hit (much) harder than anticipated".

Hurricane Dorian unleashed massive flooding across the Bahamas on Monday, pummeling the islands with so much wind and water that authorities urged people to find floatation devices and grab hammers to break out of their attics if necessary. From there, Dorian is predicted to shift northward, inching perilously near the coasts of Georgia and SC on Wednesday night into Thursday.

Nine counties in Florida have issued mandatory evacuations.

'The incompetent Mayor of London, Sadique [sic] Kahn [sic], was bothered that I played a very fast round of golf yesterday, ' Trump tweeted.

Over the weekend, the storm reached Category 5 status and tore through the Bahamas, leaving at least five known casualties and flattening entire islands. The storm was already blamed for the death of an eight-year-old boy taking shelter in the Abaco Islands.

Even places as far north as North Carolina are potential targets for a U.S. landfall, forecasters said.

Abaco was among the first portions of the country to be hit when Dorian made landfall late Sunday.

"The major hurricane has been stationary much of the day", the NHC message states. "NO ONE should be alone during a hurricane or tropical storm". We repeat, no impacts from Hurricane Dorian will be felt across Alabama.

USA Today: "Bahamas officials focus on "rescue, recovery and prayer" as Hurricane Dorian slams islands" - "Hurricane Dorian continued its devastating assault on the Bahamas on Monday after making landfall on three islands along the north end of the battered archipelago". Dorian is expected to affect the SC coast Wednesday or Thursday.

A spokesman for Bahamas Power and Light told ZNS that there was a blackout in New Providence, the archipelago's most populous island. "And then the forecasts are that it will then begin a descent north, obviously, when and how that happens is going to be critical for impacts in the state of Florida", he added.