At 5 p.m. Eastern time, the storm was about 280 miles north of the western tip of Puerto Rico, which had escaped much of the storm’s wrath, and 250 miles east of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and headed northwest at about 13 mph. It was drawing strength from the warm waters of the Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center said.
Forecasters said the hurricane could pass near the northern Bahamas on Sunday and make landfall on the Florida peninsula Monday morning. But computer models have shown divergent tracks for the storm’s path, so officials have warned Floridians from Miami to Jacksonville to prepare for a battering.
The National Hurricane Center warns that a Category 4 storm can cause “catastrophic damage,” peeling off roofs and uprooting trees and power lines.
Dorian would be the first Category 4 or higher hurricane to make landfall on Florida’s east coast since Andrew, a Category 5 storm, ripped through the Miami area in 1992. Andrew was blamed for 61 deaths and caused about $27 billion in damage.
Tropical-storm-force winds (at least 39 mph) could begin blowing into Florida as soon as Saturday night, extending up to 90 miles from the storm’s center.
Forecasters predict that the hurricane will drop some 5 to 10 inches on much of Florida, with up to 15 inches possible in some places and the potential for flash flooding.
Another serious concern is life-threatening storm surge, when seawater levels rise sharply and push far inland, flooding neighborhoods. About half of hurricane deaths can be attributed to storm surges.
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida extended his emergency declaration to all of the state’s 67 counties and warned everyone to prepare for the storm by gathering seven days’ worth of food, medicine and other supplies.
“All Floridians really need to monitor Hurricane Dorian,” he said Thursday morning, cautioning that many homes will lose power and residents have to be ready for flooding.
This article originally appeared in
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