Hurricane Dorian intensified to a Category 4 storm late on Friday as it swirled toward the United States, and forecasters on Saturday were projecting a sharp swerve north along Florida’s eastern coast before it comes ashore. Dorian could now make landfall in Georgia or the Carolinas later next week after losing some of its strength.
It was good news for Floridians, who could now be spared a direct hit. But the powerful storm is still dangerous, and much of the state remains in the area that forecasters believe could be assailed by heavy winds, rain and storm surge.
Dorian was about 415 miles east of West Palm Beach, Florida, late Saturday morning, steadily intensifying while sustaining winds near 150 mph and moving west near 8 mph.
For those watching as the storm cuts a wobbly path through the Atlantic, it does not help that this system has been especially unpredictable and has such a wide possible route ahead, or what meteorologists call the “cone of uncertainty.” Forecasters have had to adjust both when and where Dorian will slam into the mainland U.S. several times in the past few days, baffling officials and residents trying to make preparations.
In the Bahamas, residents of the archipelago’s northwestern islands braced for a direct hit from Dorian as the government ordered the evacuation of low-lying areas.
Grand Bahama Island and the Abaco Islands were expected to take the brunt of the storm Sunday. The National Hurricane Center warned that because the storm’s movement had slowed, the area should prepare for “a prolonged period of life-threatening storm surge and devastating hurricane force winds.”
The area lying in Dorian’s path is not a major center for tourism, although several cruise ships diverted their routes to avoid the storm.
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida welcomed Dorian’s eastward shift but warned that the forecast remains uncertain.
“If it bumps just a little west, then you’re looking at really, really significant impacts,” he said Saturday morning. He asked residents to heed local orders for mandatory evacuations, which are in place along some coastal communities.
“You’re still looking at really significant storm surge in the east coast of Florida,” he said. “You’re looking at major flooding events in different parts of the state.”
