Hurricane Dorian strengthened to an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 145mph, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
As of 8 a.m ET Saturday, the National Hurricane Center warned of a “notable change” to Dorian’s possible path into Tuesday, stressing that it could make landfall in Florida, Georgia or the Carolinas. Most of Florida remains in the so-called “cone of uncertainty”
Earlier NHC meteorologists said it remains unclear whether Dorian would deliver a devastating direct strike on the state’s east coast or just a glancing blow. Some models predicted a late turn northward, showing Dorian hugging the Florida coast, then slamming into the Carolinas late Wednesday.
8/31 8 AM EDT: There's been a notable change overnight to the forecast of #Dorian after Tuesday. It should be stressed that the new forecast track does not preclude Dorian making landfall on the Florida coast, as large portions of the coast remain in the track cone of uncertainty pic.twitter.com/GSds0bKunM
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 31, 2019
The hurricane center’s advisory warned that the “risks of strong winds and life-threatening storm surge” during the middle of next week have increased along Georgia and South Carolina’s coasts. North and South Carolina officials declared states of emergency Friday due to the possible impacts from the storm.
Hurricane #Dorian has now been upgraded to a Category 4 storm. It is imperative that all Floridians and their families take this threat seriously and have a plan in place. Everyone should have 7 days of food, water and medicine ready. https://t.co/tbNmsBcq4E
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) August 31, 2019
“It is imperative that all Floridians and their families take Hurricane Dorian seriously,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement on Friday night. “The time to prepare diminishes by the hour, particularly because we are still uncertain of where it will make landfall. Everyone should have seven days of food, water and medicine in preparation for this storm. Additionally, all residents need to be prepared to evacuate, should that be required.”
However, authorities have held off on ordering mass evacuations, due to the uncertainty surrounding the storm’s ultimate path.
“Sometimes if you evacuate too soon, you may evacuate into the path of the storm if it changes,” DeSantis said.
Forecasters have warned that coastal areas could see 6 to 12 inches of rain, with up to 18 inches possible in isolated areas. That amount of rainfall “may cause life-threatening flash floods,” the NHC warned. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official Jeff Byard said Dorian is likely to “create a lot of havoc” for roads, power and other infrastructure.
Also imperiled are the Bahamas, where canned food and bottled water were disappearing quickly and the sound of hammering echoed across the islands as people boarded up their homes. Dorian was expected to hit there by Sunday with the potential for a life-threatening storm surge that could raise water levels as much as 10 to 15 feet above normal.
“Do not be foolish and try to brave out this hurricane,” Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said. “The price you may pay for not evacuating is your life.”
Trump on Friday approved an emergency declaration for Florida and “ordered federal assistance to supplement state, tribal and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Dorian,” the White House said.
In a video posted on Twitter Friday afternoon, Trump said the hurricane is “looking like it could be an absolute monster.
“We’re ready. We have the best people in the world ready and they’re gonna help you. We’re shipping food, we’re shipping water, but it may be that you’re going to evacuate,” Trump said. “We’re gonna see what happens, we’re waiting. It does seem almost certain that it’s hitting dead center and that’s not good. The winds seem to be building at a tremendous rate. It looks like the winds are going to be unbelievably high. We’re all ready. And hopefully, we’ll get lucky. But it looks to me like this time, it’s heading in one direction.”
Forecasters have warned that coastal areas could see 6 to 12 inches of rain, with up to 18 inches possible in isolated areas. That amount of rainfall “may cause life-threatening flash floods,” the NHC warned. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official Jeff Byard said Dorian is likely to “create a lot of havoc” for roads, power and other infrastructure.
Also imperiled are the Bahamas, where canned food and bottled water were disappearing quickly and the sound of hammering echoed across the islands as people boarded up their homes. Dorian was expected to hit there by Sunday with the potential for a life-threatening storm surge that could raise water levels as much as 10 to 15 feet above normal.
“Do not be foolish and try to brave out this hurricane,” Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said. “The price you may pay for not evacuating is your life.”
Trump on Friday approved an emergency declaration for Florida and “ordered federal assistance to supplement state, tribal and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Dorian,” the White House said.
In a video posted on Twitter Friday afternoon, Trump said the hurricane is “looking like it could be an absolute monster.
“We’re ready. We have the best people in the world ready and they’re gonna help you. We’re shipping food, we’re shipping water, but it may be that you’re going to evacuate,” Trump said. “We’re gonna see what happens, we’re waiting. It does seem almost certain that it’s hitting dead center and that’s not good. The winds seem to be building at a tremendous rate. It looks like the winds are going to be unbelievably high. We’re all ready. And hopefully, we’ll get lucky. But it looks to me like this time, it’s heading in one direction.”
Story cited here.
