Our live coverage of Hurricane Dorian has moved. Follow the latest updates here.
Miami’s mayor has said that the city is going through a pre-storm checklist and making sure its pump stations are in good working order.
Speaking to CNN early on Thursday morning, Mayor Francis X. Suarez urged residents to be prepared while the city works through its pre-storm checklist of preparations to make sure their pump stations are working.
After Hurricane Irma flooded parts of the city in 2017, the city installed two pumps that pumped 50,000 gallons of water a minute in vulnerable areas such as Brikell and Mary Brickell, Suarez said.
“Once the storm passes, we urge our residents to call our 311 system so we can go into recovery mode immediately,” she said.
In its latest public advisory, the National Hurricane Center said there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, but residents in northwestern and central Bahamas should monitor the storm, which may head their way on Saturday. Heavy rainfall there could create flash floods.
The hurricane is moving northwest, which is expected to continue into the weekend.
Wind speeds are still at 85 miles per hour, consistent with the last report at 11 p.m. ET – but the Center warned that the hurricane is expected to strengthen over the next few days, and become a major hurricane on Friday.
Read the full report here.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) set port condition Whiskey for Port Canaveral in Florida – a classification level that’s declared when there are expected gale force winds within 72 hours.
What this means: All ocean-going commercial vessels and ocean-going barges greater than 500 gross tons should make plans for departing the port, and vessels that want to stay in port must receive permission from COTP. Vessels heading for Port Canaveral should seek an alternative destination if they can’t depart 24 hours before the winds reach land.
The next level of port condition is Yankee, which is raised when sustained gale force winds are expected within 24 hours. At that point, vessel movement will be restricted, and all movements must be approved by the captain of the port.
The Coast Guard is also warning the public to:
Florida is getting ready for Hurricane Dorian, which is expected to make landfall during Labor Day Weekend.
Local energy provider Florida Power said it was monitoring the hurricane and making preparations in case their service area was affected. Yesterday, there were almost 25,000 power outages on St. Croix, one of the US Virgin Islands.
Meanwhile, the University of Central Florida says it will monitor the hurricane and decide whether class and operations will continue or be canceled on Thursday.
Other Southern states are also getting ready – Georgia Power supplies energy to 2,553,123 customers in the state, and it said it is also monitoring the storm’s path.
The worst seems to have passed in Puerto Rico, and things will mostly go back to normal tomorrow, officials say.
Airports will be in regular operation on Thursday, according to Anthony O. Maceira Zayas, the Port Authority Executive Director.
Zayas also tweeted that as soon as the US Coast Guard reopens the Port of San Juan, they will begin to receive cargo ships and passengers scheduled for this week.
Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz says schools are back in session in San Juan and employees in that municipality will go back to their normal working schedule on Thursday.
“Thankful to the community for all the help through this event; and we continue to encourage everyone to maintain informed during this hurricane season,” Yulin Cruz said in her statement.
US President Donald Trump has federally approved the Virgin Islands’ emergency declaration.
This means the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are now authorized to deploy the equipment and resources they feel are necessary.
“Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding,” the White House said in a press release.
The National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center have updated their public advisory for Hurricane Dorian as the storm moves away from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
However, the Center warned that there will be heavy rainfall in the Bahamas, which could cause “life-threatening” flash floods.
Read the entire advisory here.
Hurricane Dorian intensified rapidly today, according to CNN meteorologists.
Wind speeds measured 50 miles per hour at 11pm ET on Tuesday. Now, it’s reached 85 mph – and an increase of 35 mph in 24 hours meets the official criteria for Rapid Intensification (RI).
Meteorologists warn that the storm will likely continue intensifying and experience more rounds of intensification – Dorian is expected to become a Category 3 by the time it hits Florida this weekend.
It’s currently a Category 1 storm. If wind speeds reach 96 mph, it will be classified as Category 2.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has over 3,000 people in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, an agency spokesperson told CNN.
The FEMA employees are helping community needs from the Dorian tropical storm, as well as assisting ongoing recovery efforts from Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico in 2017.
The spokesperson added that personnel on the ground include logistics and transportation teams, emergency response support teams, and emergency communications teams.
About 25,000 power outages in St. Croix, one of the Virgin Islands, were restored earlier this evening, officials say.
Jean Greaux of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority said:
Greaux said the island of St. John is restored, and restoration work on St. Thomas is ongoing with a significant portion already re-energized. Restoration work will continue through the night.
Once Hurricane Dorian is done thrashing Puerto Rico, southeastern US states could get walloped on Labor Day weekend.
While it’s too early to tell exactly where or when Dorian might strike the US mainland, one of the storm’s possible targets is Jacksonville, Florida.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said it’s too early to make any decisions about evacuations but warned that damage from Dorian could come in different forms.
“Will it be the wind? Will it be the flooding? Will it be downed power lines?” Curry said. “The impacts are unpredictable.”
The eye of Hurricane Dorian is moving away from Puerto Rico but it may be intensifying as it pushes into the Atlantic, according to satellite and radar images.
Hurricane force winds have not been reported in Puerto Rico as they have been in the US Virgin Islands. Forecasters say wind gusts of up to 40 mph and some lingering showers are still possible on the island.
The center of Dorian was located roughly 50 miles northeast of San Juan on Wednesday evening.
Images from St. Thomas show debris, tree branches and damaged roofs in downtown Charlotte Amalie.
A resident, Terence Thomas, said some of the damaged roofs had been covered with blue tarps since Hurricane Maria hit the island two years ago.
“People have been through a lot in the past two years,” Thomas told CNN via WhatsApp. “This event was mild compared to the last two (hurricanes).”
Several airlines have canceled dozens of flights at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan as Dorian nears the island.
Airport officials tweeted a list of the 52 departing and 50 arriving flights that were canceled Wednesday.
Puerto Rican officials installed a brand new generator in Culebra that is supposed to cover all of the island, said Jose Ortiz, the Executive Director of the Electric Power Authority (PREPA).
“A month ago, we installed a 6-megawatts generator that has the capacity to cover 100% of the electric services of the island,” Ortiz told reporters earlier on Wednesday.
He added that most of the areas Hurricane Maria hit in 2017 are stronger today because of all the repairs they had to go through.
PREPA has over 1 million power customers and returning power to the island after Maria was a challenge. At the time, the blackout in Puerto Rico was considered the largest in US history and the second-largest in world history.
Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency urging residents to prepare for Hurricane Dorian.
Here’s his statement:
Dorian is gradually moving away from the Northeast Caribbean Sea and is expected to become a dangerous hurricane in the Western Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Weather Service’s latest update on the storm.
Hurricane conditions are ongoing over portions of the US Virgin Islands, and could still occur over Vieques, Culebra, and the British Virgin Islands during the next several hours, according to NWS. These winds should subside tonight.
Meanwhile, tropical storm conditions are expected in Puerto Rico through tonight.
Swells are expected to increase later today across the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and along the southern coasts of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, and they could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Here’s a tweet from the National Hurricane Center showing Dorian’s path:
Chris Heck, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was vacationing at St. John Inn in Cruz Bay when Dorian descended.
He tweeted this video around 3 p.m. Wednesday:
The Florida Department of Emergency Management tweeted that residents should have 7 days of supplies in preparation for Hurricane Dorian.
“A stocked supply kit has water, nonperishable food, prescription medications, flashlights and extra batteries,” the agency said in the tweet, which included a checklist.
Here’s the tweet:
An 80-year-old man from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, died after falling from the roof of his home, Public Safety Secretary Elmer Roman confirmed during a briefing Wednesday afternoon.
The man climbed up a ladder and onto his roof to clean a drain while preparing for Hurricane Dorian.
“It’s very sad” Roman said, adding officials don’t have details or confirmation that he lived alone.
There are state and municipal resources, “but we must be sure to do wellness checks on residents who live alone and get them to shelter,” Roman said.
FEMA’s Elizabeth Litzow tells CNN that FEMA has more supplies on the island than the agency had for Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Portions of southwest Puerto Rico are now under flash flood warnings as the outer bands continue to stream across the Island.
Flash flood warnings continue on St. John and St. Thomas as the most vigorous part of the storm continues to lash the islands.
The red on the radar image below is where the most torrential rain is falling across the islands:
A dry law order has been instated for all of Puerto Rico, Governor Wanda Vazquez Garced announced during a briefing Wednesday afternoon.
The sale of alcohol is prohibited “from this moment on,” and the dry law will remain in place for up to 24 hours or until authorities recommended otherwise, according to Vazquez.
Vazquez said she has been in constant contact with mayors from across the island.
An elevated weather station on Buck Island just south of St. Thomas reported sustained winds of 82 mph and a gust of 111 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 75 mph (120 km/h) with higher gusts.
Dorian is forecast to continue strengthening during the next few days over the Atlantic waters.
Puerto Rican Congresswoman Jenniffer Gonzalez responded to President Trump’s tweet about “yet another big storm” heading to the island, saying “We don’t choose our hurricanes,” during an interview with WAPA TV.
Gonzalez was asked about this tweet:
Here’s how she responded:
Gonzalez insisted that, to date, the island has received less than that amount.
“The President identified $92 billion over the course of a 10-year period. What has been identified, voted on by the house and senate is $42.5 billion of which only 13 has been awarded to Puerto Rico. What was voted on and agreed upon, was $42.5 billion,” according to Gonzalez.
Dorian has strengthened into a hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 2 p.m. forecast update. Hurricane Dorian has sustained winds of 75 mph.
Hurricane Dorian is currently located directly over St. Thomas, USVI.
There have been multiple observations of hurricane-force winds in St. Thomas, according to the update.
The wind and rain is picking up on the US Virgin Island of St. Croix. Stacy Mooney was shooting video through a crack in her hurricane shutters when all of a sudden there was a buzz followed by a green flash.
“Overall, things are fine,” she tells CNN. “The winds have been fierce.”
WATCH:
Puerto Ricans are bracing for Tropical Storm Dorian, which is expected to hit the eastern part of the island later today.
Dorian arrives just two years after the island was ravaged by Hurricane Maria. Here’s how the people of Puerto Rico are preparing for the storm.
Workers are preparing stores for the arrival of Dorian:
People have gathered at the coast in the hours before the Tropical Storm Dorian enters in Patillas, Puerto Rico:
Residents are putting up shutters and plywood over the windows of homes in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico:
St. John and St. Thomas are now under flash flood warnings.
Dorian could drop up to 10 inches of rain over the next 24 hours.
The Governor of the US Virgin Islands announced a curfew for the territory earlier this morning. It just went into effect.
The curfew will last until 6:00 a.m. Thursday morning.
Authorities utilized the emergency alert system and sent the following message to everyone on the islands.
As Tropical Storm Dorian nears St. Croix, the rain and wind is picking up. Christy Brown is prepared, and is thankful to still have power — for now.
She took video that shows the current conditions on the island in the US Virgin Islands.
Here’s the footage:
Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry said although Tropical Storm Dorian is about five days away from possibly making landfall in Florida, preparations are underway to ensure the safety of all residents.
During a news conference on Wednesday, Curry says it’s too early to make any decisions about evacuations, however the city will activate its Emergency Operations Center tomorrow morning.
The extended forecast for Dorian calls for a landfall in Florida on Monday.
Rain will have a larger impact than wind in this storm and rivers will be impacted due to rain.
About 4 to 6 inches of rain are expect, however, eastern, mountainous portions of Puerto Rico could see up to 10 inches, Garcia said.
As of Wednesday morning, 23 shelters have been established and more than 40 residents have sought refuge, Puerto Rico Emergency and Disaster Management Commissioner Carlos A. Acevedo Caballero said.
A hurricane warning has been issued for the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra as well as the US Virgin Islands, the National Weather Service said Wednesday.
A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the area — in this case in the next 12 hours.
Tropical storm conditions are expected in Puerto Rico today with hurricane conditions possible.
Tropical Storm Dorian has strengthened to 70 mph this morning, only 4 mph from reaching hurricane status.
The forecast for Dorian calls for continued strengthening over the next few days, now reaching Category 3 on Sunday over the Bahamas. The extended forecast for Dorian still calls for a landfall in Florida on Monday.
Puerto Rican municipal and state emergency officials are preparing the eastern part of the island in anticipation for Dorian, Puerto Rico Emergency and Disaster Management Commissioner Carlos A. Acevedo Caballero said at a briefing Wednesday morning.
Acevedo has been speaking directly to the mayors of Culebra, Fajardo, Ceiba and Naguabo, who’s main concern is the need for more generators. “Generators are on standby,” and will be ready to deploy where needed, Acevedo said.
Residents are waking up to a trajectory, that is completely different from when they went to sleep, “thinking the system would enter through Ponce and now the system has a different route toward the east of Puerto Rico,” according to Acevedo. His message to the residents, “remain calm.”
Emergency crews are on standby and residents with “blue roofs” or tarps are priority and have been evacuated to shelters. Ports have been closed by the Coast Guard, 99.1% of residents have power and airlines that have cancelled flights include: Cape Air, Seaborne, Frontier, Southwest and Air Caribbean.
The Government of the British Virgin Islands is closing the territory’s airports ahead of Tropical Storm Dorian.
Auguste George International Airport in Anegada and Taddy Bay Airport in Virgin Gorda are both closed.
Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island is slated to close at 10:00 a.m. local time.
In a press release, the territory’s government says they will assess the conditions of each airport early Thursday morning after the storm passes before they reopen.
The Governor of the US Virgin Islands is establishing a curfew for the entire territory. Starting today at 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. Thursday, the curfew will be in effect.
Authorities are also opening evacuation shelters across the islands.
St. Croix
St. Thomas
St. John
It’s just raining with a steady breeze in St. John’s, but conditions are deteriorating.
They’ll worsen throughout the day, ultimately peaking in the next couple hours. Winds should start to decrease in intensity after 3:00 p.m.
Clint Gaskin of the Longboard restaurant in St. John’s took the following video of the rain pounding the harbor. The US Virgin Islands will see heavy rainfall of up to 10 inches over the next 24 hours.
WATCH:
Dorian is currently still a tropical storm as it churns in the Caribbean. It has maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour.
Dorian is forecast to increase significantly in not only strength but also in size as it approaches the Southeastern US.
For the storm to become a hurricane, it needs maximum sustained wind strengths of at least 74 mph. Categories of hurricanes are defined by their wind speeds:
Here’s a look at other major storms’ wind speeds:
Remember: While wind speeds dictate a storm’s category, other factors can determine storms’ strength. Bigger storms make for wider-spreading impacts and also make storm surge worse as they build up a bigger swell.
Here’s a look at forecast winds for Tropical Storm Dorian:
Conditions in the British Virgin Islands will deteriorate through the day as Dorian approaches. The islands are set to see the strongest winds and storm surge given they will be on the right side of the storm.
The center of Tropical Storm Dorian should pass around 50 miles west of the islands.
In addition to winds and storm, they’re expected to see heavy rainfall — up to 10 inches over the next 24 hours.
This is what it looks like at the Soggy Dollar Bar in Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands right now.
WATCH:
We’re tracking Tropical Storm Dorian today, which is expected to be near a Category 1 hurricane as it approaches Puerto Rico.
You might hear some hurricane and tropical storm terms as Dorian churns in the Caribbean Sea. Here’s what they mean:
Here’s a look at the anatomy of a storm:
Tropical Storm Dorian is nearing the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. St. Croix is already experiencing rain from the storm.
Satellite imagery from NOAA showed just how close the storm is to Puerto Rico. The island will begin to feel the effects of the storm later today.
Take a look:
Dorian is currently in the Caribbean Sea, just west of Guadeloupe and Montserrat. As it keeps moving, Dorian could bring a hurricane to Florida for Labor Day weekend.
By Friday evening, the storm is forecast to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane as it tracks east of Turks and Caicos. It will then strengthen to a Category 2 by Sunday morning before making landfall on the east coast of Florida or Georgia.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged residents to start preparing for Dorian to come their way.
Here’s his message:
Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vazquez Garced urged residents to take “necessary precautions” ahead of Tropical Storm Dorian.
Dorian is currently in the Caribbean Sea, just west of Guadeloupe and Montserrat and is expected to reach Puerto Rico at near hurricane strength in the midday or afternoon, according to CNN meteorologist Haley Brink.
President Trump said the administration is “tracking closely” tropical storm Dorian, which is expected to make landfall in Puerto Rico today.
Trump said the storm is heading “as usual” to Puerto Rico, an island affected by hurricane season every year. CNN has asked whether the President has been or will be briefed today.
Trump also went after San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, calling her “incompetent.”
Some background: Yesterday, Yulin Cruz was sharply critical of Trump, telling CNN, “His behavior, his lack of understanding – it is ludicrous. 3000 Puerto Ricans did not open their eyes this morning because this racist man did not have it within him to do his job. So get out of the way President Trump and let the people who can do the job get the job done.”
The National Hurricane Center just released its latest advisory for Tropical Storm Dorian.
The storm, which is about 60 miles off the coast of St. Croix, has maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. For context, hurricanes have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph.
Here’s a look at the latest forecast:
