Florida Residents Prepare as Hurricane Dorian Approaches

Florida residents stocked up on gas and supplies ahead of strengthening Hurricane Dorian on Thursday, August 29.

The storm was projected to intensify into a “major hurricane” on Friday and continue to be an “extremely dangerous” storm throughout the weekend, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its 11 am Thursday update.

Effects from the storm could be felt in parts of Florida as early as Saturday night, the National Weather Service said. A NHC forecast said Dorian’s wind speed could reach up to 130 mph by Sunday, making it a Category 4 hurricane.

Local media reported that some people were forced to wait for the next shipment of water and were greeted by empty shelves at a South Florida supermarket.

This video shows cars lining up and a person filling gas cans at a Miami gas station.

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis on Wednesday declared a state of emergency for 26 Florida counties that could be impacted by Dorian.

Hurricane Dorian was about 220 miles northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, the NHC said on Thursday afternoon. The storm had maximum winds of 85 mph, the update said. Credit: Giuseppe Castiello via Storyful