Palm Beach Evacuation Ends, Broward Cleared as Dorian Slinks North

Palm Beach County lifted a mandatory evacuation order late Tuesday afternoon, allowing an estimated 2,900 residents to return to their homes from shelters opened in preparation for Hurricane Dorian.

Broward County de-escalated from tropical storm watch status Tuesday morning as Dorian was downgraded to a Category 2 storm, moving slowly up the east coast toward the Carolinas.

Much of Palm Beach County remained under a storm warning Tuesday. Portions of the county's coastal side and areas near Lake Okeechobee, including Pahokee and Belle Glade, were ordered to evacuate Sunday. The county opened 11 shelters over the weekend. Officials said county offices would remain closed Wednesday, but return to normal business hours Thursday.

Broward Public Schools will reopen Wednesday, with all classes and district offices following their normal operating schedules.

The county announced Sunday schools would be closed today for possible use as storm shelters.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is expected to reopen at noon today. The Palm Beach Post reports Palm Beach International Airport anticipates resuming flights at 3 p.m.

South Florida colleges and universities are getting operations underway, though classes have not resumed everywhere. Broward College campuses are expected to resume operations late Tuesday night, while classes will start again on schedule Wednesday, according to its website.

Nova Southeastern University announced at noon Tuesday classes on its campuses would remain closed until Thursday, while NSU's University School (JK-12), Mailman Segal Center, and Baudhuin School would resume Wednesday on schedule. The Davie-based school also has campuses in Palm Beach, Orlando, and Jacksonville. Florida Atlantic University also remains closed through Wednesday.

Hurricane Dorian tore through the Bahamas over the weekend, even as South Florida remained relatively unscathed. By 11 a.m. today, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph and was located 45 miles north of Freeport, Grand Bahama and 105 miles east of Fort Pierce.

The National Hurricane Center warned that Dorian's drop in speed did not mean the areas in the storm cone were safe. “The combined wind, surge, and floods hazards are the same or even worse since the hurricane has become larger," one official told the Orlando Sentinel on Tuesday.