Hurricane Dorian: Florida braces for what may be biggest storm on east coast since 1992

Storm threatens winds in excess of 130mph when it’s predicted to hit north of Miami Sunday and MondayHurricane Dorian leaves the Caribbean Sea and tracks towards the Florida coast. Photograph: Handout/Getty ImagesFlorida is bracing for the biggest hurricane to hit the state’s east coast in more than a quarter of a century, as a monster storm bears down and threatens winds in excess of 130mph when it’s expected to hit north of Miami.Hurricane Dorian is likely to affect the state directly overnight Sunday, with the latest computer modeling predicting it will make landfall in the early hours of Monday, the Labor Day holiday in the US, around West Palm Beach.But weather experts on Thursday proclaimed the state’s entire east coast at risk.The tempest on Friday was threatening to become the most powerful hurricane to affect the east coast of Florida since Hurricane Andrew roared ashore in 1992, causing devastating damage and killing 65 people.> There's an increasing chance for Dorian to bring a triple-threat of dangers to the Florida east coast... > > life-threatening storm surge gt; ️devastating hurricane-force winds gt; ️heavy rains gt; gt; The onset of tropical storm force winds could be as soon as Saturday evening. gt; Prepare NOW. pic.twitter.com/Moes49tcyugt; gt; — National Weather Service (@NWS) August 29, 2019A state of emergency has been declared and Donald Trump has canceled his forthcoming trip this weekend to Poland as the storm approaches. The president warned the storm was an “absolute monster”.Millions of Floridians on Friday were stockpiling water, food, fuel and materials such as plywood to board up properties. They have been advised to track the storm closely.Florida has called 2,500 National Guard troops into action and put a further 1,500 on stand-by as the hurricane spins off the south-western shore, roaring north-west towards the Bahamas and strengthening overnight into Friday, with winds of 105mph and gusts up to 125mph.On Friday morning it was a category 2 hurricane out in the ocean and is fully expected to be category 4 when it makes landfall, indicating winds over 130mph.It was announced on Thursday that the vice-president, Mike Pence, will travel to Poland in the president’s stead.Meanwhile, Puerto Rico’s citizens breathed a sigh of relief this week at having avoided major damage from Hurricane Dorian, after it had been on a path this week to hit the US island territory directly.Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, declared a state of emergency and urged residents to take precautionary measures including stockpiling water, canned food and other emergency supplies.“Dorian could be a major hurricane,” DeSantis tweeted. “All Floridians on the east coast should have seven days of supplies, prepare their homes and follow the track closely.”A beach near Miami on Thursday. The hurricane is expected to hit the coast early on Monday. Photograph: Michele Eve Sandberg/AFP/Getty ImagesGeorgia, another state potentially in the storm’s path, also declared a state of emergency for 12 counties nearest the state’s coastline.Governor Brian Kemp said the storm “has the potential to produce catastrophic impacts to citizens” throughout the south-east coastal region of the United States.One predicted track has the storm on course to hit Palm Beach county in southern Florida, the location of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. According to the Tampa Bay Times the president’s ocean-front property, often referred to as “the winter White House”, lies within the so called “cone of uncertainty”– the potential range of paths the hurricane could take.There were lines at many gas stations in south Florida as people began filling gas cans and topping off their gas tanks. Some residents using community Facebook groups gave updates on new shipments of water to restock the nearly empty shelves at local grocery stores.Meanwhile the state’s largest power company, Florida Power and Light, said it had activated an emergency response plan in anticipation of the storm’s impact, securing around 13,000 employees and additional personnel to respond to damaged powerlines and equipment.DeSantis said he had spoken on the phone with Trump, who pledged support.Shoppers in Florida wait in long lines as they stock up on supplies ahead of Hurricane Dorian. Photograph: Brynn Anderson/APThe hurricane center advised that heavy rains from the storm were expected to occur over portions of the Bahamas, Florida, and elsewhere in the south-eastern US “later this week and into early next week”.pbr clear="all"