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.
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If Dorian reaches the southeast of the US over the weekend - Labor Day weekend - it is expected to have strengthened to a category 2 hurricane. At this stage it is too early to determine the exact path of the storm for Saturday and Sunday, but it is likely it will hit parts of Florida.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis said on Tuesday: "Based on the current track of Tropical Storm Dorian, all residents on the East Coast should prepare for impacts, including strong winds, heavy rain and flooding".
Speaking during a press conference today, director of US National Weather Service San Juan, Robert Garcia, said that it is possible Storm Dorian "could turn into a hurricane before it reaches Puerto Rico." However, he emphasised that the forecast could keep changing. "This is not written in stone. It could change in the next minutes, hours," he said.
Here is some updated storm tracking of Dorian moving over the Virgin Islands:
Flash flood warnings have been extended to the islands of St John and St Thomas, according to the National Weather Service of San Juan.
Dorian has officially been upgraded from tropical storm to category 1 hurricane. It is currently moving through the Virgin Islands.
Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has weighed on the Trump administration's handling of the approaching storm, which has seemed overconfident at best.
Earlier today, president Trump used a tweet about White House preparation to take a dig at the mayor of San Juan, leading to more skepticism that the administration is up for what could be another significant challenge in emergency action.
Per CNN, Puerto Rico Congresswoman Jenniffer Gonzalez was asked about Donald Trump's earlier insults towards the mayor of San Juan during and interview with WAPA TV. She responded:
"We don't choose our hurricanes. We don't call ourselves, we don't wake up and say, 'come over here.' God decides that, nature decides that. We are in the Caribbean, this is a route for hurricanes and storms."
In a tweet, the representative thanks Florida representative Stephanie Murphy for her support as the hurricane draws closer to both congresswomen's homes.
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