'Notable Change' to Hurricane Dorian's Path Means It Could Hit Georgia, Carolinas As Well
The National Hurricane Center on Saturday morning upgraded Hurricane Dorian to a Category 4 storm and noted that it might affect not only Florida but Georgia and both Carolinas as well.
In a tweet, the hurricane center reported a “notable change overnight to the forecast of #Dorian after Tuesday.”
As the attached image shows, the cone that encompasses the storm’s probable path also includes much of Georgia and South Carolina, as well as the bottom portion of North Carolina.
8/31 8 AM EDT: There’s been a notable change overnight to the forecast of #Dorian after Tuesday. It should be stressed that the new forecast track does not preclude Dorian making landfall on the Florida coast, as large portions of the coast remain in the track cone of uncertainty pic.twitter.com/GSds0bKunM
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 31, 2019
“It should be stressed that the new forecast track does not preclude Dorian making landfall on the Florida coast, as large portions of the coast remain in the track cone of uncertainty,” the NHC said.
In a Saturday morning advisory, the NHC said Dorian has developed into “an extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm.
“Dorian has strengthened to an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 130 mph,” the advisory reads.
Dorian had been expected to make landfall on Florida’s eastern coast on Tuesday.
But as of Saturday morning, as NBC News reported, Dorian was “on course to potentially miss a direct hit with Florida.”
Instead, Dorian could make landfall Wednesday in the Carolinas, according to ABC News.
Despite the uncertainty, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is emphasizing the importance of being ready for whatever happens.
“As you’re looking at these forecasts, a bump in one direction or the other could have really significant ramifications in terms of impact,” he said at a news conference Saturday morning.
“If it bumps just a little west, then you’re looking at really, really significant impacts,” he added.
In a follow-up tweet, meanwhile, the NHC warned of “significant impacts” even if the storm stays offshore.
Significant impacts could also occur even if the center of #Dorian stays offshore. With the change in the forecast, the risk of strong winds and life-threatening storm surge is increasing along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina during the middle of next week. pic.twitter.com/7yI3bxa8ti
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 31, 2019
“With the change in the forecast, the risk of strong winds and life-threatening storm surge is increasing along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina during the middle of next week,” the NHC wrote.
Later Saturday, the NHC issued another update, noting that while “life-threatening storm surge and dangerous hurricane-force winds” were still a possibility along Florida’s eastern coast, the latest projections have Dorian slowing down and heading north rather than making a direct hit on Florida.
The 11 am EDT/AST advisory for Hurricane #Dorian is now available at https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB: Dorian’s Fury Aiming for the Northwestern Bahamas pic.twitter.com/1UT0vdKCOI
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 31, 2019
Here are the Key Messages for 8/31 11 AM EDT/AST for Hurricane #Dorian. The next intermediate advisory is at 2 pm, followed by a complete advisory at 5 pm. pic.twitter.com/YasuxEDbR3
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 31, 2019
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, it’s vital that residents in Georgia and the Carolinas be prepared.
“The coastline has expanded so we want to make sure that those residents in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina are definitely starting to make their preparatory actions,” Jeff Byard, associate administrator for FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery, said Saturday on “Good Morning America.”
“We’ll start putting responses, assets and teams in South Carolina and North Carolina.”
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