Hurricane Dorian now expected to reach Category 4 as Florida braces for impact

New York Daily News, The (NY)

Aug. 29--Florida's east coast is bracing for a potentially devastating storm this Labor Day weekend as Dorian is now on track to become a Category 4 hurricane with winds as strong as 130 mph.

The storm was moving northwest Thursday with landfall forecast for Sunday or Monday along the east coast.

But officials warned that Dorian's movement has been inconsistent and its exact path remains unclear. The hurricane on Wednesday struck the U.S. Virgin Islands and brushed past Puerto Rico, both of which sustained minimum damage.

Forecasters expect the storm to pick up speed as it moves through warm waters on Thursday, potentially becoming a Category 4 hurricane by the time it reaches the U.S. mainland.

"Puerto Rico is in great shape with Hurricane Dorian taking a largely different route than anticipated," President Trump tweeted on Thursday. "Thank you to FEMA, first responders, and all, for working so hard & being so well prepared. A great result! The bad news, Florida get ready! Storm is building and will be BIG!"

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Wednesday night, urging residents to prepare for a direct hit. He said every Floridian should have seven days of supplies, food, water and medicine in case of a disaster.

"Because of the uncertainty in the track of this storm, every resident along the East Coast needs to be ready," Jared Moskowitz, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said in a statement. "As updates come out, it's important that Floridians continue to pay attention to media and local officials as the track of this storm has been changing and can continue to change rapidly."

The hurricane brought strong winds and heavy rain to St. Thomas and St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Power outages, downed trees and overturned boats were also reported across the territory.

In Puerto Rico, an 80-year-old man died Wednesday morning while preparing his home for the storm. The Bayamón resident was trying to get to the roof to clean the drains when he slipped and fell from a ladder.

The National Hurricane Center said Dorian could have winds of up to 125 mph when it reached the U.S. mainland. Tropical storm-force winds could begin in parts of Florida as early as Saturday evening, the agency said.

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