Hurricane Dorian: How This Impacts Labor Day Weekend In GA

GEORGIA — Hurricane Dorian could bring a dangerous storm surge and winds to Florida's east coast, said the National Hurricane Center Thursday, which urged residents urged to have disaster plan in place and not focus on the exact track of the storm. The Category 1 hurricane lashed Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Wednesday and could become a Category 3 with winds from 111 to 129 mph, before hitting the United States. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm that appears to be taking aim at the entire state.

The latest update from the National Weather Service regarding Georgia says Hurricane Dorian is forecast to make landfall somewhere along the eastern Florida coastline, and eventually move northward, but there are significant differences in the model guidance as to the exact track of the hurricane after 3-4 days.

"Earlier (Wednesday), it was believed that Hurricane Dorian would move westward into Florida, then turn northeastward and mostly parallel the eastern U.S. coastline," the NWS said. "This would put the forecast area on the 'clean' side of the storm with impacts being mostly limited to heavy rain for the southeastern and eastern portions of the forecast area. However, confidence is increasing that Hurricane Dorian may move into Florida and push northwest into the southeastern Gulf states. This solution is where most models are starting to trend, and would put most if not all of the forecast area into the 'dirty' side of the storm. If this were to occur heavy rainfall, with localized flooding, would become more of a threat with a chance for weak, brief tropical tornadoes. Sustained winds up to 30-35 mph could also be possible for central Georgia if this were to occur."

Heavy winds are expected to batter the Bahamas, Florida and other parts of the southeastern United States by late this week and early next week, forecasters said. Computer models disagree on where Dorian might come ashore, with one putting it close to the Florida-Georgia line and others estimating it will be south of Jacksonville on a path toward Orlando.

"All of the intensity models forecast Dorian to begin strengthening again soon, and rapid intensification could occur," the NHC said Thursday morning. "Dorian is likely to reach major hurricane strength in the next day or two and is forecast to maintain that status until it reaches land. ... Strengthening is forecast during the next few days, and Dorian is expected to become a major hurricane on Friday."

Warning Coordination Meteorologist Robert Molleda with the National Weather Service in Miami told Patch that preparation is key.

"We don't have a hurricane watch or warning in effect for any part of the state," Molleda said. "Certainly, this is a good time here over the next couple of days to make sure that we have things in order and our hurricane plan is in order, and that we have for example, water, food, batteries etc. — all those things that we need to have as part of our hurricane plan and our hurricane kit."

He urged Floridians to pay attention to any possible watches and warnings heading into the weekend.

"If and when hurricane watches and warnings would be issued later in the week and into the weekend, then of course that's the time we're going to have to put our plan into place," he added.

Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Wednesday and urged every Florida resident to have seven days of supplies, including food, water and medicine as well as a plan in case of disaster.

"I will continue to monitor Hurricane Dorian closely with emergency management officials," he said. "The state stands ready to support all counties along the coast as they prepare."

The storm was located about 150 miles northwest of San Juan and about 425 miles east, southeast of the southeastern Bahamas with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph as of 5 a.m. Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

"Dorian is moving toward the northwest near 13 mph ... and this general motion is expected to continue through Friday," the National Hurricane Center said.

"On this track, Dorian should move over the Atlantic well east of the southeastern and central Bahamas today and on Friday, and approach the northwestern Bahamas on Saturday," weather officials said.

Power outages and flooding were reported across the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands and the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra after Dorian hit St. Thomas as a Category 1 storm.

Dorian had prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to declare a state of emergency Tuesday night and order federal assistance for local authorities.

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, which is still struggling to recover from hurricanes Irma and Maria, officials reported power outages amid driving rains and heavy wind.

Many in Puerto Rico were worried about power outages and heavy rains on an island still struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm that hit nearly two years ago. Some 30,000 homes still have blue tarps as roofs and the electrical grid remains fragile and prone to outages even during brief rain showers.

Earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that weather researchers now believe there will be more hurricanes in 2019 than previously expected.

The updated hurricane season outlook calls for 10 to 17 named storms, of which five to nine are expected to become hurricanes. Two to four of those could become major hurricanes, according to NOAA.

The Associated Press, and Patch Editors Paul Scicchitano and Michael Seale contributed to this report.