Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 30 august 2019
'A big deal': Florida braces for Hurricane Dorian

Associated Press It is expected to pick up
MIAMI (AP) — Florida resi- steam as it pushes out into
dents picked the shelves warm waters with favor-
clean of bottled water and able winds, the University of
lined up at gas stations Miami's McNoldy said, add-
Thursday as an increasingly ing: "Starting tomorrow, it
menacing-looking Hurri- really has no obstacles left
cane Dorian threatened in its way."
to broadside the state over The National Hurricane
Labor Day weekend. Center's projected track
Leaving lighter-than-ex- had the storm blowing
pected damage in its ashore midway along the
wake in Puerto Rico and Florida peninsula, south-
the Virgin Islands, the sec- east of Orlando and well
ond hurricane of the 2019 north of Miami or Fort Lau-
season swirled toward the derdale. But because of
U.S., with forecasters warn- the difficulty of predicting
ing it will draw energy from its course this far ahead,
the warm, open waters as it the "cone of uncertainty"
closes in. covered nearly the entire
The National Hurricane state.
Center said the Catego- Forecasters said coastal
ry 1 storm is expected to areas of the Southeast
strengthen into a potential- could get 5 to 10 inches
ly catastrophic Category 4 of rain, with 15 inches in
with winds of 130 mph (209 Store shelves are empty of bottled water as residents buy supplies in preparation for Hurricane some places, triggering life-
kph) and slam into the U.S. Dorian, in Doral, Fla., Thursday, July 29, 2019. threatening flash floods.
on Monday somewhere Associated Press Also imperiled were the
between the Florida Keys Bahamas, with Dorian's ex-
and southern Georgia — researcher Brian McNoldy. tally ready." shoppers rushed to stock pected track running just
a 500-mile stretch that re- "A lot of people are going With the storm's track still up on food, plywood and to the north of Great Ab-
flected the high degree of to be affected. A lot of in- unclear, no immediate other emergency supplies aco and Grand Bahama
uncertainty this far out. surance claims." mass evacuations were or- at supermarkets and hard- islands.
"If it makes landfall as a President Donald Trump dered. ware stores, and motorists Jeff Byard, an associate
Category 3 or 4 hurricane, canceled his weekend trip Along Florida's east coast, topped off their tanks and administrator at the Fed-
that's a big deal," said Uni- to Poland and declared local governments be- filled gasoline cans. Some eral Emergency Manage-
versity of Miami hurricane Florida is "going to be to- gan distributing sandbags, fuel shortages were report- ment Agency, warned that
ed in the Cape Canaveral Dorian is likely to "create a
area. lot of havoc with infrastruc-
Josefine Larrauri, a retired ture, power and roads," but
translator, went to a Publix gave assurances FEMA is
supermarket in Miami only prepared to handle it, even
to find empty shelves in the though the Trump adminis-
water section and store tration is shifting hundreds
employees unsure of when of millions of dollars from
more cases would arrive. FEMA and other agencies
"I feel helpless because the to deal with immigration at
whole coast is threatened," the Mexican border.
she said. "What's the use of "This is going to be a big
going all the way to Geor- storm. We're prepared for
gia if it can land there?" a big response," Byard said.
Tiffany Miranda of Miami Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
Springs waited well over 30 declared a state of emer-
minutes in line at BJ's Whole- gency, clearing the way to
sale Club in Hialeah to buy bring in more fuel and call
hurricane supplies. Some out the National Guard if
50 vehicles were bumper- necessary, and Georgia's
to-bumper, waiting to fill up governor followed suit.
at the store's 12 gas pumps. Royal Caribbean, Carni-
"You never know with these val and Norwegian began
hurricanes. It could be rerouting their cruise ships.
good, it could be bad. You Major airlines began al-
just have to be prepared," lowing travelers to change
she said. their reservations without a
As of Thursday evening, fee.
Dorian was centered At the Kennedy Space
about 330 miles (535 kilo- Center at Cape Canav-
meters) east of the Baha- eral, NASA decided to
mas, its winds blowing at 85 move indoors the mobile
mph (140 kph) as it moved launch platform for its
northwest at 13 mph (20 new mega rocket under
kph). development.q