Hurricane Dorian, which is now a Category 4 hurricane brewing in the Atlantic Ocean, is predicted to deliver a wallop somewhere on the East coast. While the storm is being intensely tracked by the National Hurricane Center and scores of meteorologists, it’s too soon to know exactly where it will make landfall.
However, on Saturday, news broke that Dorian’s path has seemingly shifted just enough to where it appears it will potentially strike not only Florida, but also South Carolina, Georgia and possibly North Carolina.
On Saturday morning, President Donald Trump tweeted a warning to his followers on the changing status of Dorian’s path, warning South Carolina residents that they should take the huge storm seriously.
“Looking like our great South Carolina could get hit MUCH harder than first thought. Georgia and North Carolina also. It’s moving around and very hard to predict, except that it is one of the biggest and strongest (and really wide) that we have seen in decades. Be safe!” he wrote.
According to The Hill , in a live Facebook briefing on Saturday by NHC director Ken Graham, Dorian is currently packing wind speeds of up to 150 miles per hour, which poses a potentially catastrophic risk to property and life for the unfortunate people in its path.
Before it potentially strikes the U.S. mainland, Dorian is predicted to smash into the Bahamas. The storm already passed over the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In preparation for a worst-case scenario, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, along with Trump, has declared a statewide emergency declaration as a preemptive measure to ready federal resources should the state need it during and after the storm’s impact.
Trump’s declaration allows for the activation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to step in and assist those who may eventually need it.
According to WYFF , South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster issued a state of emergency on Saturday after news of Dorian’s potential shift to his state.
“We encourage all South Carolinians who may be impacted by Hurricane Dorian to be vigilant and prepare now – there is no reason for delay,” McMaster said.
“State assets are being mobilized now and Team South Carolina is working around the clock to be ready, if necessary.”
Trump also retweeted a graphic from the NHC on Saturday which highlights what residents in the path of the dangerous storm can expect. It explained that Dorian could be “life-threatening” and emphasized that the storm will likely slow down as it makes its final approach to land, which could result in devastating flooding.
Here are the latest Key Messages on Hurricane Dorian from @NWSNHC pic.twitter.com/VRiU5VYSJX
— National Weather Service (@NWS) August 31, 2019
Hurricane Dorian is expected to make landfall next week.
