Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis says at least five people have died in the Abaco Islands, where Hurricane Dorian made landfall Sunday as "the strongest hurricane in modern records" to hit the archipelago.

The southern United States and the Bahamas are bracing for Hurricane Dorian as it slowly churns across the Atlantic and is expected to become a dangerous, Category 4 storm as it makes landfall in the days ahead.

Hurricane Dorian is "expected to become a major hurricane on Friday," according to the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm Dorian made a last-minute shift in its path on Tuesday, threatening Puerto Rico with a direct hit as forecasters said it could reach near-hurricane strength in its approach to the U.S. territory.

Hurricane Florence was nearing landfall on the North Carolina coast, bringing with it life-threatening storm surge, heavy rain and sustained winds of 90 miles per hour. Although downgraded to a Category 1 storm, the hurricane has grown larger and slowed its march inland — factors likely to contribute to potentially catastrophic flooding.