Hurricane Dorian approaches Puerto Rico as Florida issues state of emergency
System could be category 3 by time it hits Sunshine State
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Your support makes all the difference.Florida governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency as Hurrican Dorian nears the US mainland.
Puerto Rico's Director of Public Safety Elmer Roman also warned residents to keep their guard up as the hurricane's path veers.
The hurricane will likely hit the Carribean island today, It is expected to strengthen into a category 3 storm by the time it hits Florida.
Follow live updates on the storm below
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Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Storm Dorian. We'll be bringing you the latest updates on the storm as it approaches Puerto Rico.
Storm Dorian is currently a tropical storm, but is expected to develop into a hurricane at it makes landfall in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
As of 1pm UK time (8am EST), Dorian was centred about 60 miles (96 kilometres) southeast of St. Croix and moving northwest near 13 mph (20 kph).
This satellite image shows Tropical Storm Dorian as it approaches Puerto Rico in the Caribbean at 11:40 UTC.
Credit: AFP
Here is a safety message from the National Hurricane Center about potential hazards from Storm Dorian:
Storm Dorian is expected to develop into a hurricane when it reaches Puerto Rico, which is still recovering from back-to-back hurricanes that killed about 3,000 people in 2017. During a televised news conference, Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez insisted: "We are better prepared than when Hurricane Maria attacked our island."
Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to attack Puerto Rico as it braces for Storm Dorian. The president has repeated false comments about disaster relief after Hurricane Maria, and has claimed he is "the best thing that's ever happened to Puerto Rico."
The storm is predicted to pass through Puerto Rico, Vieques and the US Virgin Islands later today, all of which are currently on hurricane watch. Dorian's winds could reach 100mph over the next four days, the National Hurricane Center says.
It is expected to hitting Florida's coast as a hurricane late Sunday or early Monday.
Puerto Rico may face landslides, widespread flooding and power outages later today, making this one of the country's biggest tests since Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Here is a message from Donald Trump earlier today about Storm Dorian, which includes a dig at the mayor of San Juan.
President Trump declared an emergency Tuesday night and ordered federal assistance for local authorities.
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