Hurricane Dorian Heads to Florida After Brushing Caribean Islands – Declared State of Emergency for the Entire State

Hurricane Dorian is now expected to hit southeastern Florida early Monday as a powerful Category 4 hurricane winds of at least 209 kilometers per hour (130 mph) — proving to be the strongest direct hit to Florida’s east coast since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

The storm is also expected to linger over central Florida on Tuesday but tropical storm-force winds from Dorian could begin in parts of Florida as early as Saturday evening, The National Hurricane Center has warned.

The Hurricane Center describes Category 4 storms as capable of causing “catastrophic damage” including severe damage to well-built homes. It said in such storms, “Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed.

Dorian was upgraded to a hurricane on Wednesday afternoon and was impacting Puerto Rico with outer bands and the Virgin Islands with heavy rain and wind. The core of the storm’s worst weather passed just east of Puerto Rico with no serious damage..

The storm rolled over the Virgin Islands later on Wednesday, hitting St. Thomas with wind gusts of up to 100 mph and is now heading away from Puerto Rico, which dodged the worst of the storm.

On Thursday night, the National Weather Service in Florida warned that Dorian could bring a “triple-threat of dangers” to Florida — including “life-threatening storm surge, devastating hurricane-force winds and heavy rains.” They urged Floridians to “prepare NOW.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for the entire state of Floida on Thursday evening. Initially, the state of emergency was declared for 26 counties on the east coast but extended it on Thursday to the whole of Florida. The governor tweeted saying he has activated more than 2,500 Florida National Guard troops as the state braces for Hurricane Dorian.”I encourage all Floridians to continue to monitor and heed all warnings.” he added.

“All residents, especially those along the east coast, need to be prepared for possible impacts,” the governor said in a statement. “As it increases strength, this storm has the potential to severely damage homes, businesses and buildings, which is why all Floridians should remain vigilant. Do not wait until it is too late to make a plan.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has also canceled a planned trip to Poland to “ensure that all resources of the federal government are focused on the arriving storm … it’s something very important for me to be here,” he said on Thursday evening.

Florida Power and Light also activated its emergency response team on Thursday, securing nearly 13,000 workers to help restore power. The state’s largest power company also urged customers to prepare for possible power outages. Reported CBS News.

“We’re actively working with other utilities from across the United States to secure additional crews and equipment and pre-positioning resources in advance of the storm’s landfall, so we are ready to respond as soon as it is safe to do so,” said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of Florida Power and Light.

Florida residents on Thursday evening rushed to supermarkets across the states collecting food and supplies.

According to a report by CBS News, the reason the storm has shifted is because its circulation has been rather disorganized and big convective bursts (clusters of thunderstorms) on the east side of the circulation are making the system lopsided, pulling and tugging the center further east.