Florida residents picked the shelves clean of bottled water and lined up at gas stations Thursday as an increasingly menacing-looking Hurricane Dorian threatened to broadside the state over Labor Day weekend. The National Hurricane Center said the storm, which left only light damage to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, is expected to strengthen into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 with winds of 130 mph. “If it makes landfall as a Category 3 or 4 hurricane, that’s a big deal,” said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy. “A lot of people are going to be affected. A lot of insurance claims.” Donald Trump cancelled his weekend trip to Poland and warned Florida residents to be prepared. “All indications are it’s going to hit very hard and it’s going to be very big,” Mr Trump said in a video he tweeted, comparing Dorian to Hurricane Andrew, which devastated South Florida in 1992. Along Florida’s east coast, governments began distributing sandbags, and shoppers rushed to stock up on emergency supplies Credit: Bloomberg With the storm’s track still unclear, no mass evacuations were ordered. But along Florida’s east coast, governments began distributing sandbags, and shoppers rushed to stock up on emergency supplies. Josefine Larrauri, a retired translator, went to a Publix supermarket in Miami only to find empty shelves in the water section and store employees unsure of when more cases would arrive. “I feel helpless because the whole coast is threatened,” she said. “What’s the use of going all the way to Georgia if it can land there?” Tiffany Miranda of Miami Springs waited well over 30 minutes in line at BJ’s Wholesale Club in Hialeah to buy hurricane supplies. Some 50 vehicles were waiting to fill up at 12 gas pumps. “You never know with these hurricanes. It could be good, it could be bad. You just have to be prepared,” she said. As of Thursday evening, Dorian was centered about 330 miles east of the Bahamas, its winds blowing at 85 mph as it moved northwest at 13 mph. It is expected to pick up steam as it pushes out into warm waters with favorable winds, the University of Miami’s McNoldy said, adding: “Starting tomorrow, it really has no obstacles left in its way.” Forecasters said coastal areas of the Southeast could get 5 to 10 inches of rain Credit: AP The National Hurricane Center’s projected track had the storm blowing ashore midway along the Florida peninsula, but uncertain projections meant the “cone of uncertainty” covered nearly the entire state. Forecasters said coastal areas of the Southeast could get 5 to 10 inches of rain, with 15 inches in some places, triggering life-threatening flash floods. Also imperiled were the Bahamas, with Dorian’s expected track running just to the north of Great Abaco and Grand Bahama islands. Jeff Byard, an associate administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, gave assurances his agency could handle it. “This is going to be a big storm. We’re prepared for a big response,” Byard said. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency, clearing the way to bring in more fuel and call out the National Guard if necessary, and Georgia’s governor followed suit. Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian began rerouting their cruise ships. Major airlines began allowing travelers to change their reservations without a fee. At the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, NASA decided to move indoors the mobile launch platform for its new mega rocket under development. A Rolling Stones concert Saturday at the Hard Rock Stadium near Miami was moved up to Friday night. The hurricane season typically peaks between mid-August and late October. One of the most powerful storms ever to hit the US was on Labor Day 1935. The unnamed Category 5 hurricane crashed ashore along Florida’s Gulf Coast on Sept. 2. It was blamed for over 400 deaths.
