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Acadia, Downeast prepare for a piece of Hurricane Dorian

Park rangers at Acadia National Park shut down access roads ahead of Hurricane Dorian's storm surge Saturday morning

MOUNT DESERT, Maine — After ravaging the North Carolina coast, Hurricane Dorian's path continues into the Gulf of Maine. 

NEWS CENTER Maine Meteorologist Ryan Breton expects Halifax, Nova Scotia to be hit with hurricane conditions later today.

Hurricane Dorian will impact parts of Maine. High surf is already affecting beaches in southern Maine and a tropical storm warning has been issued for Downeast Maine.

NEWS CENTER Maine's Jackie Mundry reports some people in Acadia National Park are observing waves early Saturday morning. Park rangers there have shutdown parts of the park in preparation for storm surge.

"A lot of people don't necessarily understand the strength of the ocean," Deputy Chief Ranger, Therese Picard told NEWS CENTER Maine.

She says in order to stay safe, stay a healthy distance away from the shoreline and never turn your back on the water.

Late Friday night, Acadia officials closed the stairways to Thunder Hole and Sand Beach. Picard says this is because that's where the surf gets big and it's a popular place for people to go and watch the waves. Officials did leave open Schoodic Point.

As of 8 p.m. Friday, Dorian was a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 90 mph and was about 275 miles south-southwest of Nantucket, Massachusetts. 

According to the North Carolina Emergency Management, Hurricane Dorian produced an estimated 13 tornadoes as it ripped through the Carolinas on Thursday. 

The National Weather Service will have to go out and scan the area to confirm that number at a later date. Numerous reports of a tornado touchdown were reported Thursday. 

The National Hurricane Center reported Dorian's eyewall passed across the Outer Banks and wind gusts as high as 96 mph were reported on Cedar Island.

Dorian was moving toward the northeast near 24 mph and is expected to continue with an increase in forward speed through Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

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