Hurricane Season 2019: Tropical Storm Dorian To Hit Florida As Category 3 Hurricane

Tropical storm Dorian that lashed Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Wednesday may landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in Florida over the weekend, warned the National Hurricane Center.

According to the hurricane center, Dorian is gradually moving away from the north-eastern Caribbean Sea and may “become a dangerous hurricane in the western Atlantic.”

The forecast said the storm will stay at that intensity in the next 72 hours until landfall.

“All indications are that by this Labor Day weekend, a powerful hurricane will be near or over the Florida peninsula,” the center said.

In Puerto Rico, an 80-year old man was killed when he was preparing his home for the storm.

Dorian has already turned into a hurricane near the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Wednesday afternoon, the hurricane center updated.

The hurricane has sustained winds of 82 mph and a gust of 111 mph. When Dorian shifts east, the threat to Puerto Rico will ease, according to the data from the weather station on Buck Island, St. Thomas.

In the coming days, the storm will move near or over the U.S. and the British Virgin Islands and then over the Atlantic Ocean east of the southeastern Bahamas, per the center.

Life-threatening flash floods have also been predicted as the storm's maximum sustained winds speed have increased to near 80 mph accompanied by higher gusts.

Florida governor declares an emergency

The Florida hurricane news also said Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency and appealed to Floridians on the East Coast to monitor the storm closely and take steps for their safety.

“Every Florida resident should have seven days of supplies, including food, water and medicine, and a plan in case of disaster," the Governor urged.

The Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Albert Bryan Jr., also clamped a territory-wide curfew until 6 a.m. Thursday to handle the storm from the Atlantic hurricane season.

As of Wednesday afternoon, hurricane warnings are in place at the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico municipalities of Vieques and Culebra.

The concern is high that the storm could damage Puerto Rico's electrical grid. Hurricane Maria had wiped out the power supply on the entire island and thousands of people lost lives in the aftermath. Many areas stayed without power for almost a year.

Meanwhile, CNN reported that Puerto Rico has put in place a new generator to supply power to the whole island.

The brand new generator in Culebra will cover the whole island, according to Jose Ortiz, the Executive Director of the Electric Power Authority.

“A month ago, we installed a 6-megawatts generator with the capacity to cover 100 percent of the electric services of the island,” Ortiz told reporters.

Trump approves emergency measurers

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump approved a state of emergency declaration for Puerto Rico to support federal authorities in coordinating aid efforts with tools like FEMA flood maps.

Earlier Wednesday, in an interesting Trump news, the President said authorities are tracking Dorian “as it heads, as usual, to Puerto Rico.”

Recalling the past criticism of the Federal agency by local politicians Trump said: “FEMA and all others are ready, and will do a great job. When they do, let them know it, and give them a big Thank You — Not like last time. That includes the incompetent Mayor of San Juan."