JACKSONVILLE, FL. (THECOUNT) — Local Jacksonville, Florida news outlet News4Jax is reporting Thursday night that Hurricane Dorian could potentially be as destructive as August 1992, Hurricane Andrew.
Every county in Florida is under a state of emergency as the state prepares for what may be the strongest hurricane to hit its east coast in nearly three decades.
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At 85 mph, Dorian is the strongest storm of the Atlantic hurricane season so far. If it makes landfall as a Category 4 storm on Monday as forecast, with sustained winds of around 130 mph, it will be the strongest hurricane to strike Florida’s East Coast since Andrew in 1992, according to News4Jax.
It will also be the fourth year in a row of a hurricane of any strength hitting Florida, the most years in a row since the 1940s.
With the devastation of 2018’s Hurricane Michael still fresh in their minds, Floridians are not taking any chances.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday declared a state of emergency for all 67 Florida counties. The state has 819,000 gallons of water and 1.8 million meals ready for distribution, he said in a news conference.
After tearing through the British and US Virgin Islands and drenching Puerto Rico with rain Wednesday, Dorian was moving northwest in the Atlantic Thursday night with sustained winds of up to 85 mph.
A new Hurricane Dorian track map shows West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale squarely in its crosshairs.
The National Hurricane Center said the Category 1 storm is expected to strengthen into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 with winds of 130 mph (209 kph) and slam into the U.S. on Monday somewhere between the Florida Keys and southern Georgia — a 500-mile stretch that reflected the high degree of uncertainty this far out, reports AP on Thursday evening.
“If it makes landfall as a Category 3 or 4 hurricane, that’s a big deal,” said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy. “A lot of people are going to be affected. A lot of insurance claims.”
As of Thursday evening, Dorian was centered about 330 miles (535 kilometers) east of the Bahamas, its winds blowing at 85 mph (140 kph) as it moved northwest at 13 mph (20 kph).
It is expected to pick up steam as it pushes out into warm waters with favorable winds, the University of Miami’s McNoldy said, adding: “Starting tomorrow, it really has no obstacles left in its way.”
DEVELOPING::
Geo quick facts: West Palm Beach is a city in South Florida. It’s separated from neighboring Palm Beach by the Lake Worth Lagoon. Downtown’s Clematis Street and CityPlace districts are filled with restaurants, shops, bars and clubs. The Norton Museum of Art displays American, European and Chinese art, including Impressionist paintings. Nearby, the 4-theater Kravis Center for the Performing Arts hosts concerts, plays, dance and opera – wikipedia.