Trump Cancels Poland Trip as Hurricane Dorian Looms

It's likely to make landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 29, 2019 3:48 PM CDT
Hurricane Dorian Likely to Hit Florida on Labor Day
Empty shelves are seen with a sign at Costco stating that the retailer is currently sold out of water ahead of Hurricane Dorian on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in Davie, Fla.   (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Hurricane Dorian hit the Caribbean Wednesday, and now it's on its way to Florida. The current forecast has it making landfall somewhere along the state's Atlantic coast Monday, Labor Day, as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds around 130mph, CNN reports. As of Thursday morning, it was moving northwest in the Atlantic with sustained winds of up to 85mph, but warm waters were expected to help it grow stronger over the weekend. It's expected to hit Grand Bahama island Sunday before getting to the Florida/Georgia coastal area the following morning. But the affected US areas could feel winds of at least 39mph starting Saturday night. A state of emergency has been declared in Florida, and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp warned coastal residents of his state to prepare for the storm. Since the storm is days away, its path is not certain; the Weather Channel notes it could even end up hitting the Carolinas.

"People have got to be ready before Sunday," says the director of the National Hurricane Center, and Floridians were apparently heeding that warning, as coastal store shelves were said to be bare and there were long lines to gas up cars. Some residents simply left the area, CBS News reports. At least 83 flights have been canceled so far and major airlines are letting some passengers reschedule flights likely to be affected by the storm, Florida State University has moved its season-opening game further inland, and the US Navy and NASA are moving planes and a mobile launcher out of the path of the storm. There's "heavy rain potential," says one meteorologist, and much of Florida could end up drenched; flash floods are possible in parts of the Bahamas and the southeastern US coast. President Trump has canceled a scheduled trip to Poland so he can monitor the storm, and will send VP Mike Pence instead. (More hurricane stories.)

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