Hurricane Dorian spun west on Saturday, putting Georgia and the Carolinas in the path of a<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dorian-churns-toward-florida-as-dangerous-category-4-hurricane-246878"> possible landfall as well as Florida</a>, where some beaches were all but deserted on the holiday weekend as visitors braced for the dangerous category 4 storm.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said there had been a "notable change" since Friday night, with the latest forecasts showing the eye of the storm could veer north and stay out at sea.

But it warned that its course remained unpredictable. Dorian still poses a threat to millions of people, as well as holiday attractions such as Walt Disney World, the NASA launchpads along the Space Coast, and even President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.

The NHC said Dorian was packing maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 kph) and was expected to pass north of the southeastern and central Bahamas on Sunday and be near Florida's east coast late Monday through Tuesday.

Of immediate concern were Bahamas tourist hotspots Great Abaco and Grand Bahamas, where up to two days of hurricane-force winds were set to start on Sunday as Dorian slowed to a 2 mph (3.2 kph) crawl.

"This is a very dangerous situation for the Bahamas," NHC Director Ken Graham said in a Facebook Live video.

After so much focus on a possible Florida landfall, Graham said other southeast US states now had to be on alert.

"Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina have got to pay attention as well," he said.

The governors of Florida, Georgia and North Carolina have all declared states of emergency.

On Florida's east coast, popular surfing spot Cocoa Beach was quiet as tourists stayed away, while locals worked on putting up hurricane shutters and buying supplies ranging from water to power generators.

"It's pretty slow, there's not many people on the beach," said Alex Hendricks, a saleswoman at the Cocoa Beach Surf Company.

In the Bahamas, most tourists who planned to leave had already gone after Freeport's international airport was scheduled to shut down at 10 p.m. on Friday.

The NHC urged Florida residents to remain on alert.

"It should be noted that the new forecast track does not preclude Dorian making landfall on the Florida coast, as large portions of the coast remain in the track cone of uncertainty," the centre cautioned on Saturday.

Trump said South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia could all be hit harder by the storm than had been previously expected.

"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!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Hurricane Dorian spun west on Saturday, putting Georgia and the Carolinas in the path of a possible landfall as well as Florida, where some beaches were all but deserted on the holiday weekend as visitors braced for the dangerous category 4 storm.

Hurricane Dorian spun west on Saturday, putting Georgia and the Carolinas in the path of a possible landfall as well as Florida, where some beaches were all but deserted on the holiday weekend as visitors braced for the dangerous category 4 storm. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said there had been a "notable change" since Friday night, with the latest forecasts showing the eye of the storm could veer north and stay out at sea. But it warned that its course remained unpredictable. Dorian still poses a threat to millions of people, as well as holiday attractions such as Walt Disney World, the NASA launchpads along the Space Coast, and even President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach. The NHC said Dorian was packing maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 kph) and was expected to pass north of the southeastern and central Bahamas on Sunday and be near Florida's east coast late Monday through Tuesday. Of immediate concern were Bahamas tourist hotspots Great Abaco and Grand Bahamas, where up to two days of hurricane-force winds were set to start on Sunday as Dorian slowed to a 2 mph (3.2 kph) crawl. "This is a very dangerous situation for the Bahamas," NHC Director Ken Graham said in a Facebook Live video. After so much focus on a possible Florida landfall, Graham said other southeast US states now had to be on alert. "Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina have got to pay attention as well," he said. The governors of Florida, Georgia and North Carolina have all declared states of emergency. On Florida's east coast, popular surfing spot Cocoa Beach was quiet as tourists stayed away, while locals worked on putting up hurricane shutters and buying supplies ranging from water to power generators. "It's pretty slow, there's not many people on the beach," said Alex Hendricks, a saleswoman at the Cocoa Beach Surf Company. In the Bahamas, most tourists who planned to leave had already gone after Freeport's international airport was scheduled to shut down at 10 p.m. on Friday. The NHC urged Florida residents to remain on alert. "It should be noted that the new forecast track does not preclude Dorian making landfall on the Florida coast, as large portions of the coast remain in the track cone of uncertainty," the centre cautioned on Saturday. Trump said South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia could all be hit harder by the storm than had been previously expected. "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!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Dorian shifts, Georgia and Carolinas in path as well as Florida

Hurricane Dorian became an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 hurricane late Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Dorian strengthens to a Category 4 storm

Hurricane Dorian spun west across the Atlantic ocean toward Florida on Saturday after growing into an even stronger Category 4 storm as residents and visitors hunkered down in one of America's most popular tourist destinations.

Dorian churns toward Florida as dangerous category 4 hurricane

Hurricane Dorian spun west across the Atlantic ocean toward Florida on Saturday after growing into an even stronger <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hurricane-dorian-strengthens-to-category-4-storm-us-forecaster-246755">Category 4 stor</a>m as residents and visitors hunkered down in one of America's most popular tourist destinations.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said there had been a "notable change" since Friday night, with the latest forecasts showing the eye of the storm could veer north and stay out at sea.

But it warned that its course remained unpredictable. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-declares-emergency-in-florida-as-hurricane-dorian-approaches-white-house-246736">Dorian still poses a threat to millions of people</a>, as well as holiday attractions such as Walt Disney World, the NASA launchpads along the Space Coast, and even President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.

The NHC said Dorian was packing maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph) and was expected to pass north of the southeastern and central Bahamas on Saturday and be near Florida's east coast late on Monday.

"While some fluctuations in intensity are possible, Dorian is expected to remain a powerful hurricane during the next few days," the NHC said in a statement on Saturday.

On Florida's east coast, where Dorian's winds are expected to quickly gather speed on Monday, residents bought bottled water, plywood and other supplies as fast as they could be restocked on Friday. Some gas stations ran out of fuel.

"They're buying everything and anything that applies to a hurricane, flashlights, batteries, generators," said Amber Hunter, 30, assistant manager at Cape Canaveral's ACE Handiman hardware store.

Tourists scrambled to leave the Bahamas on Friday as Dorian approached its northwestern islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco, eager to take off before the international airport shut down at 10 pm

'Really worried'

The NHC urged Florida residents to remain on alert.

"It should be noted that the new forecast track does not preclude Dorian making landfall on the Florida coast, as large portions of the coast remain in the track cone of uncertainty," the center cautioned on Saturday.

Cocoa Beach Mayor Ben Malik was taking no chances, putting up storm shutters on his Florida home on Friday afternoon and worrying about the flooding Dorian could unleash on his barrier island town.

"It's slowed down, we're looking at a multiple-day event, we were hoping it would just barrel through and leave," Malik said of forecasts that Dorian could sit over Florida for up to two days, dumping up to 18 inches (46 cm) of water.

"I'm really worried about the amount of rain we'll be getting."

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged residents to have in reserve at least a week's worth of food, water and medicine.

Trump told reporters before leaving for Camp David for the weekend: "We're thinking about Florida evacuations, but it's a little bit too soon. We'll probably make that determination on Sunday."

But Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson on Friday urged its 46,000 residents who planned to evacuate not to delay.

"It's decision time now. Don't wait until I-95 north and I-75 north and the turnpike are parking lots," said Hudson, who experienced two devastating hurricanes in 2004.

Two thousand National Guard troops were mobilised on Friday, and 2,000 more were due to be joining them on Saturday. Florida officials also were making sure that all nursing homes and assisted living facilities had generators.

Hurricane Dorian spun west across the Atlantic ocean toward Florida on Saturday after growing into an even stronger Category 4 storm as residents and visitors hunkered down in one of America's most popular tourist destinations. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said there had been a "notable change" since Friday night, with the latest forecasts showing the eye of the storm could veer north and stay out at sea. But it warned that its course remained unpredictable. Dorian still poses a threat to millions of people, as well as holiday attractions such as Walt Disney World, the NASA launchpads along the Space Coast, and even President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach. The NHC said Dorian was packing maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph) and was expected to pass north of the southeastern and central Bahamas on Saturday and be near Florida's east coast late on Monday. "While some fluctuations in intensity are possible, Dorian is expected to remain a powerful hurricane during the next few days," the NHC said in a statement on Saturday. On Florida's east coast, where Dorian's winds are expected to quickly gather speed on Monday, residents bought bottled water, plywood and other supplies as fast as they could be restocked on Friday. Some gas stations ran out of fuel. "They're buying everything and anything that applies to a hurricane, flashlights, batteries, generators," said Amber Hunter, 30, assistant manager at Cape Canaveral's ACE Handiman hardware store. Tourists scrambled to leave the Bahamas on Friday as Dorian approached its northwestern islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco, eager to take off before the international airport shut down at 10 pm 'Really worried' The NHC urged Florida residents to remain on alert. "It should be noted that the new forecast track does not preclude Dorian making landfall on the Florida coast, as large portions of the coast remain in the track cone of uncertainty," the center cautioned on Saturday. Cocoa Beach Mayor Ben Malik was taking no chances, putting up storm shutters on his Florida home on Friday afternoon and worrying about the flooding Dorian could unleash on his barrier island town. "It's slowed down, we're looking at a multiple-day event, we were hoping it would just barrel through and leave," Malik said of forecasts that Dorian could sit over Florida for up to two days, dumping up to 18 inches (46 cm) of water. "I'm really worried about the amount of rain we'll be getting." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged residents to have in reserve at least a week's worth of food, water and medicine. Trump told reporters before leaving for Camp David for the weekend: "We're thinking about Florida evacuations, but it's a little bit too soon. We'll probably make that determination on Sunday." But Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson on Friday urged its 46,000 residents who planned to evacuate not to delay. "It's decision time now. Don't wait until I-95 north and I-75 north and the turnpike are parking lots," said Hudson, who experienced two devastating hurricanes in 2004. Two thousand National Guard troops were mobilised on Friday, and 2,000 more were due to be joining them on Saturday. Florida officials also were making sure that all nursing homes and assisted living facilities had generators.

Hurricane Dorian is expected to strengthen into a dangerous Category 3 storm on Friday with winds of at least 111 mph (178 km/h) as it heads towards Florida's Atlantic coast.

Dorian is forecast to swell later into a powerful Category 4 storm with violent winds topping 130 mph (210 km/h) before it makes landfall on Labor Day.

The entire state of Florida is under a declaration of emergency and Governor Ron DeSantis activated 2,500 National Guard troops with another 1,500 on standby.

No evacuations were ordered as of early Friday, but many are expected as the storm's path become clearer before it makes landfall on Monday.

Dorian was a Category 2 storm early on Friday with winds of 105 mph and its 12 mph (9 kph) trajectory could slow down allowing it to crawl across the warm coastal waters, a recipe for storm fuel.

It is expected to become a Category 4 by Monday on the 5-step Saffir-Simpson scale for measuring hurricane intensity.

Recent weather models from the National Hurricane Center show it smacking into the center of the state.

And then it is expected roll inland to Orlando on Tuesday, as it weakens into a Category 1 storm with maximum winds of 95 mph (177 km/h).

Other NHC weather models show the storm tracking south toward Miami in south Florida before it hits the peninsula, or heading north to the Georgia coast.

With the dangerous winds, the storm is expected to drop 5-to-10 inches of rain on the state with some areas getting as much as 15 inches.

"This rainfall may cause life-threatening flash floods," forecasters said.

US President Donald Trump cancelled a planned trip to Poland, sending Vice President Mike Pence in his place, so he can make sure federal resources are properly directed for the storm.

"Now it's looking like it could be an absolute monster," Trump said in a video posted on Twitter, adding that food and water was being shipped to Florida.

DeSantis said that Floridians need to take the storm seriously.

"Hurricane #Dorian is moving slowly &amp; gaining strength," DeSantis wrote on Twitter. "Now is the time to get prepared &amp; have a plan."

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in 12 counties to assist with storm readiness, response and recovery.

It was unclear if Florida's famed theme parks including Disney World would close, as they have done during previous hurricanes, such as Irma in 2017.

But Harris Rosen, owner of the Central Florida hotel chain Rosen Hotels and Resorts, is offering discount rates at 8 hotels for people and their pets who flee the coast to Orlando, the company announced on its website.

'Not looking good'

Angela Johnson, a 39-year-old bar manager in South Florida, said: "We're worried. This is not looking good for us."

"We woke up a lot more scared than we went to bed last night, and the news is not getting any better," said Johnson, who manages Coconuts On The Beach, a bar and restaurant on the surfing beach in the town of Cocoa Beach.

Officials were making piles of sand available for Cocoa Beach residents to fill sandbags starting on Friday.

Dorian could churn across dozens of launchpads owned by NASA, the US&nbsp;Air Force and companies such as Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

The Miami-based NHC said hurricane watches could be issued for portions of the Bahamas on Friday and the risk of "devastating hurricane-force winds along the Florida east coast late this weekend and early next week continues to increase."

Tropical storm-force winds could be felt in parts of the state as early as Saturday evening.

Hurricane Dorian is expected to strengthen into a dangerous Category 3 storm on Friday with winds of at least 111 mph (178 km/h) as it heads towards Florida's Atlantic coast.

Hurricane Dorian is expected to strengthen into a dangerous Category 3 storm on Friday with winds of at least 111 mph (178 km/h) as it heads towards Florida's Atlantic coast. Dorian is forecast to swell later into a powerful Category 4 storm with violent winds topping 130 mph (210 km/h) before it makes landfall on Labor Day. The entire state of Florida is under a declaration of emergency and Governor Ron DeSantis activated 2,500 National Guard troops with another 1,500 on standby. No evacuations were ordered as of early Friday, but many are expected as the storm's path become clearer before it makes landfall on Monday. Dorian was a Category 2 storm early on Friday with winds of 105 mph and its 12 mph (9 kph) trajectory could slow down allowing it to crawl across the warm coastal waters, a recipe for storm fuel. It is expected to become a Category 4 by Monday on the 5-step Saffir-Simpson scale for measuring hurricane intensity. Recent weather models from the National Hurricane Center show it smacking into the center of the state. And then it is expected roll inland to Orlando on Tuesday, as it weakens into a Category 1 storm with maximum winds of 95 mph (177 km/h). Other NHC weather models show the storm tracking south toward Miami in south Florida before it hits the peninsula, or heading north to the Georgia coast. With the dangerous winds, the storm is expected to drop 5-to-10 inches of rain on the state with some areas getting as much as 15 inches. "This rainfall may cause life-threatening flash floods," forecasters said. US President Donald Trump cancelled a planned trip to Poland, sending Vice President Mike Pence in his place, so he can make sure federal resources are properly directed for the storm. "Now it's looking like it could be an absolute monster," Trump said in a video posted on Twitter, adding that food and water was being shipped to Florida. DeSantis said that Floridians need to take the storm seriously. "Hurricane #Dorian is moving slowly & gaining strength," DeSantis wrote on Twitter. "Now is the time to get prepared & have a plan." Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in 12 counties to assist with storm readiness, response and recovery. It was unclear if Florida's famed theme parks including Disney World would close, as they have done during previous hurricanes, such as Irma in 2017. But Harris Rosen, owner of the Central Florida hotel chain Rosen Hotels and Resorts, is offering discount rates at 8 hotels for people and their pets who flee the coast to Orlando, the company announced on its website. 'Not looking good' Angela Johnson, a 39-year-old bar manager in South Florida, said: "We're worried. This is not looking good for us." "We woke up a lot more scared than we went to bed last night, and the news is not getting any better," said Johnson, who manages Coconuts On The Beach, a bar and restaurant on the surfing beach in the town of Cocoa Beach. Officials were making piles of sand available for Cocoa Beach residents to fill sandbags starting on Friday. Dorian could churn across dozens of launchpads owned by NASA, the US Air Force and companies such as Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. The Miami-based NHC said hurricane watches could be issued for portions of the Bahamas on Friday and the risk of "devastating hurricane-force winds along the Florida east coast late this weekend and early next week continues to increase." Tropical storm-force winds could be felt in parts of the state as early as Saturday evening.

Hurricane Dorian gains strength as Florida braces for direct hit

The storm is currently moving northwest at 13 mph (21 km/h) over the U.S. Virgin islands.

Tropical Storm Dorian Turns into a Hurricane

Hurricane Dorian took aim at the Bahamas and the Florida coast on Thursday, spurred on by warm Atlantic waters as it threatens to strengthen into a dangerous Category 3 storm.

Dorian earlier sideswiped the Caribbean without doing major damage but is expected to strengthen and slam the Bahamas and the southeastern United States with rain, strong winds and life-threatening surf over the next few days, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said in an advisory.

US President Donald Trump urged Floridians to heed official warnings. Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Wednesday and asked residents along the state's east coast to stock up with at least seven days worth of supplies such as food and water.

"Hurricane Dorian looks like it will be hitting Florida late Sunday night," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Be prepared and please follow State and Federal instructions, it will be a very big Hurricane, perhaps one of the biggest!"

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hurricane Dorian looks like it will be hitting Florida late Sunday night. Be prepared and please follow State and Federal instructions, it will be a very big Hurricane, perhaps one of the biggest!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1167030041303310336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The US&nbsp;Coast Guard on Wednesday said that all pleasure boats at the Port of Key West should seek safe harbour before the Labor Day weekend begins and ocean-going vessels should make plans to leave the port ahead of the storm.

Dorian, currently a Category 1 storm, is expected to grow into a Category 3 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of intensity, with winds greater than 111 mph (178 km/h) by the time it makes landfall, most likely on Florida's eastern coast on Monday, before lingering over central Florida on Tuesday, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said.

Early on Thursday, the hurricane centre said Dorian was packing maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour (137 km per hour) some 150 miles (240 km) north-northwest of San Juan, and about 425 miles (685 km) east-southeast of the southeastern Bahamas.

"On this track, Dorian should move over the Atlantic well east of the southeastern and central Bahamas today and on Friday," forecasters said, "and approach the northwestern Bahamas on Saturday."

Dorian is expected to become a major hurricane by Friday afternoon and continue to gain strength until it makes landfall.

Trump issued an emergency declaration on Wednesday night for the US&nbsp;Virgin Islands, ordering federal assistance with disaster relief for the US&nbsp;territory. On Tuesday, he made a similar declaration for Puerto Rico, and also renewed a feud with island officials over how disaster relief funds from previous hurricanes.

Puerto Rico is still struggling to recover from back-to-back hurricanes in 2017 that killed about 3,000 people soon after the island filed for bankruptcy. On Wednesday, it escaped fresh disaster as Dorian avoided the territory and headed northwest toward Florida.

Preparations were mounted in the Bahamas, which could be hard hit.

Jeffrey Simmons, the country's acting director of the Department of Meteorology, said severe weather could strike the southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands on Friday.

Hurricane Dorian took aim at the Bahamas and the Florida coast on Thursday, spurred on by warm Atlantic waters as it threatens to strengthen into a dangerous Category 3 storm.

Hurricane Dorian took aim at the Bahamas and the Florida coast on Thursday, spurred on by warm Atlantic waters as it threatens to strengthen into a dangerous Category 3 storm. Dorian earlier sideswiped the Caribbean without doing major damage but is expected to strengthen and slam the Bahamas and the southeastern United States with rain, strong winds and life-threatening surf over the next few days, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. US President Donald Trump urged Floridians to heed official warnings. Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Wednesday and asked residents along the state's east coast to stock up with at least seven days worth of supplies such as food and water. "Hurricane Dorian looks like it will be hitting Florida late Sunday night," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Be prepared and please follow State and Federal instructions, it will be a very big Hurricane, perhaps one of the biggest!" Hurricane Dorian looks like it will be hitting Florida late Sunday night. Be prepared and please follow State and Federal instructions, it will be a very big Hurricane, perhaps one of the biggest! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2019 × The US Coast Guard on Wednesday said that all pleasure boats at the Port of Key West should seek safe harbour before the Labor Day weekend begins and ocean-going vessels should make plans to leave the port ahead of the storm. Dorian, currently a Category 1 storm, is expected to grow into a Category 3 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of intensity, with winds greater than 111 mph (178 km/h) by the time it makes landfall, most likely on Florida's eastern coast on Monday, before lingering over central Florida on Tuesday, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said. Early on Thursday, the hurricane centre said Dorian was packing maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour (137 km per hour) some 150 miles (240 km) north-northwest of San Juan, and about 425 miles (685 km) east-southeast of the southeastern Bahamas. "On this track, Dorian should move over the Atlantic well east of the southeastern and central Bahamas today and on Friday," forecasters said, "and approach the northwestern Bahamas on Saturday." Dorian is expected to become a major hurricane by Friday afternoon and continue to gain strength until it makes landfall. Trump issued an emergency declaration on Wednesday night for the US Virgin Islands, ordering federal assistance with disaster relief for the US territory. On Tuesday, he made a similar declaration for Puerto Rico, and also renewed a feud with island officials over how disaster relief funds from previous hurricanes. Puerto Rico is still struggling to recover from back-to-back hurricanes in 2017 that killed about 3,000 people soon after the island filed for bankruptcy. On Wednesday, it escaped fresh disaster as Dorian avoided the territory and headed northwest toward Florida. Preparations were mounted in the Bahamas, which could be hard hit. Jeffrey Simmons, the country's acting director of the Department of Meteorology, said severe weather could strike the southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands on Friday.

Hurricane Dorian expected to strengthen into dangerous Category 3 storm

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