Though hurricane season technically begins in June, summer 2019 has remained fairly quiet on the storm front. At least until now.
For the last week or so, people have been carefully watching the storm named Dorian as it has moved westward across the Atlantic.
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As it neared Puerto Rico earlier in the week, the island braced itself, afraid to relive the destruction of Hurricane Maria.
However, even though Dorian was upgraded from a topical storm to an actual hurricane, the Caribbean island was mostly spared as Dorian brushed passed its coastline.
But in the couple of days between soaking the US Virgin Islands and skirting Puerto Rico, Dorian increased in strength.
It quickly jumped categories and as of this writing is currently a strong Category 4 , but nearing Category 5.
If it maintains its strength — or continues to grow — Dorian will be the strongest hurricane to hit Florida since Andrew in 1992.
With that knowledge, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency and began stockpiling food and water to be distributed if necessary.
As Dorian has neared, it has been difficult to predict its final route and President Trump tweeted for everyone to stay safe.
Dorian continues to shift its route, making it just as likely to miss as it is to hit hard.
That’s not a sign to relax, though. Even if there isn’t a direct hit, there may still be damaging winds and rain.
As of 11 am Friday, the center of the storm is looking to miss the Florida coast.
However, much of the state is still within the affected area and many residents are reminding people that Andrew did the same before making a sudden turn inland.
So if you’re in the hurricane zone, batten down the hatches, have your evacuation and emergency kits ready, and stay safe!
