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Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY, USA TODAY • August 30, 2019,
Hurricane Dorian strengthens to Category 2 storm hurricane Dorian strengthens to Category 2
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Hurricane Dorian hurtled toward the United States and was on track to become a major hurricane Friday before its expected landfall Monday into Tuesday along Florida’s east coast, forecasters say.
The storm was slowly turning west on Friday as it makes it way back toward land and is expected to strengthen in the coming days, the National Hurricane Center said. Dorian is then forecast slam the southeastern United States as a possible Category 4 storm.
Forecasters say Dorian will likely slow down considerably as it approaches Florida, allowing for heavy rainfall, dangerous winds and life-threatening storm surge to linger.
“Dorian is likely to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane while it moves near the northwestern Bahamas and approaches the Florida peninsula through the weekend,” the hurricane center said.
No evacuations were ordered yet, but Gov. Ron DeSantis expanded state of emergency declarations throughout all of Florida’s 67 counties and warned Floridians to have a hurricane plan in place. He also asked President Donald Trump to declare a pre-landfall disaster for the entire state.
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What we know now: Hurricane Dorian expected to bring life-threatening storm surge to Florida
Trump, who canceled a planned trip to Poland, called the storm “an absolute monster” and compared Dorian to Hurricane Andrew, which devastated Florida in 1992.
“All indications are it’s going to hit very hard and it’s going to be very big,” Trump said in a video he tweeted Thursday.
Shoppers were lining up to buy supplies and water as waits at gas stations grew. Some scattered fuel shortages were reported Friday. Sandbags were also being distributed by local governments. National guard troops are expected to be deployed in the comings days, too.
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At 11 a.m. Friday, the storm was 660 miles east of West Palm Beach, Florida, and was moving northwest at 10 mph, the National Weather Service says. Dorian was brewing as a Category 2 with 110-mph winds, at the brink before Category 3 status, which forecasters expect the storm to reach later Friday.
“On this track, Dorian should move over the Atlantic well east of the southeastern and central Bahamas today, approach the northwestern Bahamas Saturday, and move near or over portions of the northwestern Bahamas on Sunday,” the Hurricane Center said Friday morning.
The hurricane’s exact path once it hits the U.S. remains uncertain, but the storm could make landfall Monday or early Tuesday along southeastern Florida. Models of the path place it anywhere between the Keys and southern Georgia.
Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist at WeatherTiger, said most models show it hitting between Vero Beach and Boca Raton overnight Monday into early Tuesday. The models show Dorian then moving up the Atlantic coast before spinning out to sea later next week.
The Southeast was forecast to be drenched in half a foot to a foot of rain, with isolated patches up to 15 inches. Storm surge is also expected, though forecasters can’t say for sure where the hardest hit areas will be.
“You’re looking at a potentially significant water event throughout portions of the state,” DeSantis told reporters Friday.
Tropical storm conditions with high-powered winds could arrive as early as Saturday night.
What makes Dorian dangerous: 5 things that make Dorian a dangerous hurricane
A hurricane watch was issued for the northwestern Bahamas as current models have parts of the islands, including Grand Bahama, on track for a direct hit Sunday into Monday. Storm surge there could reach as much as 10 to 15 feet above normal tide levels with onshore winds.
Large, destructive waves are also likely, the hurricane center says.
Major cruise lines began rerouting ships and airlines began allowing travelers to change their reservations without an extra charge.
Florida Power and Light, which operates more than 48,000 miles of overhead power lines, activated its emergency response plan and will have nearly 13,000 employees on hand to restore power after the storm, the utility said in a news release Friday. It was also working with utilities across the country to secure additional resources and position crew before the storm hits.
