- Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for the counties in the path of Hurricane Dorian.

DeSantis said that all Floridians on the East Coast should prepare for impact, as the National Hurricane Center (NHC) projects that Dorian could reach Category 3 hurricane status before making landfall in Florida. It is expected to be a Category 2 by the time it passes over Orlando.

“Today, I am declaring a state of emergency to ensure Florida is fully prepared for Hurricane Dorian,” said Governor DeSantis. “It’s important for Floridians on the East Coast to monitor this storm closely. Every Florida resident should have seven days of supplies, including food, water and medicine, and should have a plan in case of disaster.”

By declaring a state of emergency, DeSantis ensures that state and local governments have ample time, resources, and flexibility to prepare. DeSantis said that the State Emergency Operations Center will activate to a Level 2 on Thursday morning, enhancing the coordination between federal, state and local emergency management agencies.

RELATED: Central Florida residents stock up on supplies ahead of Hurricane Dorian

“Because of the uncertainty in the track of this storm, every resident along the East Coast needs to be ready,” said Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz. “By having an Executive Order in place and by activating the State Emergency Operations Center to a Level 2, we are fully prepared to support any community that might be impacted.”

Fox 35 meteorologist Glenn Richards said if Dorian hits Florida as a Category 3 hurricane, it could be the "largest and most powerful hurricane to hit Central Florida in over 30 years."

For the latest on Dorian, visit ORLANDOHURRICANE.com.

You can also monitor the tropics with the Fox 35 Weather App. </s> Tropical Storm Dorian is expected to strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane before making landfall in Florida on Labor Day.

The storm is forecast to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane by Friday morning as it tracks to the east of Turks and Caicos and will continue to strengthen to a Category 2 storm by Sunday morning before it makes landfall along the east coast of Florida or Georgia Monday morning, CNN meteorologist Haley Brink said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that he received a briefing from the Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Moskowitz and that it is time to start preparing for Dorian.

“Based on the current track of Tropical Storm Dorian, all residents on the East Coast should prepare for impacts, including strong winds, heavy rain and flooding,” DeSantis said. “Make sure to have your supplies ready and follow @FLSERT [Florida Division of Emergency Management] and local media for the latest updates on the forecast.”

A well-known forecast model is predicting Tropical Storm Dorian will pack hurricane-force winds when it reaches the Florida Peninsula.

Recent runs of the European model, operated by the European Center for Medium Range Forecasting, have been trending a stronger storm over the past 48 hours.

The model has constantly brought the center of the storm to the eastern coast of Florida, somewhere between Jacksonville and West Palm Beach.

Right now, Dorian is approaching several Caribbean islands.

The tropical storm is expected to be near a Category 1 hurricane as it approaches Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic on Wednesday and Thursday, CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen said.

But it could impact more than just the Caribbean: By the end of the week, what’s left of Dorian is expected to move toward the Bahamas and southeastern parts of the mainland US.

A word of warning, though: “It is still way too early to forecast impacts,” Hennen said about Florida.

“There’s already so much damage on the ground from (Maria) that this isn’t going to take a lot to make a significant amount of damage, especially flooding,” Myers said.

Early Wednesday, the storm was about 240 miles east southeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Ponce Mayor Maria “Mayita” Melendez told CNN there are still people with tarps over their homes in the city, which she estimates was hit with $1 billion in damages from Maria.

One resident, Lucy Beascochea, said the tin roof over her home still has holes in it, meaning every time it rains, water leaks in. She told CNN she is nervous about the approaching storm.

Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced on Monday declared a state of emergency for the island and urged people to prepare for the storm.

“For citizens who do not yet have safe roofs, we will have shelters ready,” Vázquez said on Twitter.

About 360 shelters are available across the island for a capacity of 48,500 people, the government’s official Twitter account said Monday. And about 70 hospitals were prepared to handle emergencies, officials said.

“Thankfully, I’ve been preparing since May,” said Krystle Rivera, whose family has been stocking up on water, canned food and gas in anticipation of the hurricane season.

Though not yet a hurricane, Tropical Storm Dorian is expected to bring severe conditions to the Caribbean.

Two-thirds of Puerto Rico is likely to receive tropical storm force winds, CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said. As of the early hours of Wednesday, Dorian had sustained winds of 60 mph.

From Wednesday to Thursday, Puerto Rico could get 4 to 8 inches of rain, and the US Virgin Islands, Haiti and Dominican Republic could receive up to 4 inches, according to the hurricane center.

Puerto Rico and eastern parts of the Dominican Republic are under a tropical storm warning, and Puerto Rico is under a hurricane watch, the hurricane center said Tuesday evening.

A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within 36 hours, and a hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours.

After passing Puerto Rico, Dorian is forecast to move near or over eastern Hispaniola on Thursday and move north, the hurricane center said.

By the end of the week, what’s left of Dorian is expected to move toward the Bahamas and possibly into the southeastern parts of the United States.

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.

That means Florida may see a hurricane over Labor Day weekend.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged residents to start preparing for Dorian to come their way.

“Based on the current track of Tropical Storm Dorian, all residents on the East Coast should prepare for impacts, including strong winds, heavy rain and flooding. Make sure to have your supplies ready and follow @FLSERT [Florida Division of Emergency Management] and local media for the latest updates on the forecast,” DeSantis said.

But that may not mean it’s time to cancel travel plans: “It is still way too early to forecast impacts,” CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen said. </s> Follow the storm with the FOX8 Hurricane Tracker.

Tropical Storm Dorian is expected to strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane before making landfall in Florida on Labor Day.

The storm is forecast to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane by Friday morning as it tracks to the east of Turks and Caicos and approaches Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic on Wednesday and Thursday. It may continue to strengthen to a Category 2 storm by Sunday morning before it makes landfall along the east coast of Florida or Georgia Monday morning, the National Hurricane Center said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that he received a briefing from the Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Moskowitz and that it is time to start preparing for Dorian.

"Based on the current track of Tropical Storm Dorian, all residents on the East Coast should prepare for impacts, including strong winds, heavy rain and flooding," DeSantis said. "Make sure to have your supplies ready and follow @FLSERT [Florida Division of Emergency Management] and local media for the latest updates on the forecast."

A well-known forecast model is predicting Tropical Storm Dorian will pack hurricane-force winds when it reaches the Florida Peninsula.

Recent runs of the European model, operated by the European Center for Medium Range Forecasting, have been trending a stronger storm over the past 48 hours.

The model has constantly brought the center of the storm to the eastern coast of Florida, somewhere between Jacksonville and West Palm Beach.

Right now, Dorian is approaching several Caribbean islands.

But it could impact more than just the Caribbean: By the end of the week, what's left of Dorian is expected to move toward the Bahamas and southeastern parts of the mainland US.

A word of warning, though: "It is still way too early to forecast impacts," Hennen said about Florida. </s> FLORIDA — Tropical Storm Dorian is expected to strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane before making landfall in Florida on Labor Day.

The storm is forecast to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane by Friday morning as it tracks to the east of Turks and Caicos and will continue to strengthen to a Category 2 storm by Sunday morning before it makes landfall along the east coast of Florida or Georgia Monday morning, CNN meteorologist Haley Brink said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that he received a briefing from the Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Moskowitz and that it is time to start preparing for Dorian.

“Based on the current track of Tropical Storm Dorian, all residents on the East Coast should prepare for impacts, including strong winds, heavy rain and flooding,” DeSantis said. “Make sure to have your supplies ready and follow @FLSERT [Florida Division of Emergency Management] and local media for the latest updates on the forecast.”

A well-known forecast model is predicting Tropical Storm Dorian will pack hurricane-force winds when it reaches the Florida Peninsula.

Recent runs of the European model, operated by the European Center for Medium Range Forecasting, have been trending a stronger storm over the past 48 hours.

The model has constantly brought the center of the storm to the eastern coast of Florida, somewhere between Jacksonville and West Palm Beach.

Right now, Dorian is approaching several Caribbean islands.

The tropical storm is expected to be near a Category 1 hurricane as it approaches Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic on Wednesday and Thursday, CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen said.

But it could impact more than just the Caribbean: By the end of the week, what’s left of Dorian is expected to move toward the Bahamas and southeastern parts of the mainland US.

A word of warning, though: “It is still way too early to forecast impacts,” Hennen said about Florida. </s> Tropical Storm Dorian is expected to strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane before making landfall in Florida on Labor Day.

The storm is forecast to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane by Friday morning as it tracks to the east of Turks and Caicos and will continue to strengthen to a Category 2 storm by Sunday morning before it makes landfall along the east coast of Florida or Georgia Monday morning, CNN meteorologist Haley Brink said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that he received a briefing from the Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Moskowitz and that it is time to start preparing for Dorian.

“Based on the current track of Tropical Storm Dorian, all residents on the East Coast should prepare for impacts, including strong winds, heavy rain and flooding,” DeSantis said. “Make sure to have your supplies ready and follow @FLSERT [Florida Division of Emergency Management] and local media for the latest updates on the forecast.”

A well-known forecast model is predicting Tropical Storm Dorian will pack hurricane-force winds when it reaches the Florida Peninsula.

Recent runs of the European model, operated by the European Center for Medium Range Forecasting, have been trending a stronger storm over the past 48 hours.

The model has constantly brought the center of the storm to the eastern coast of Florida, somewhere between Jacksonville and West Palm Beach.

Right now, Dorian is approaching several Caribbean islands.

The tropical storm is expected to be near a Category 1 hurricane as it approaches Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic on Wednesday and Thursday, CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen said.

But it could impact more than just the Caribbean: By the end of the week, what’s left of Dorian is expected to move toward the Bahamas and southeastern parts of the mainland US.

A word of warning, though: “It is still way too early to forecast impacts,” Hennen said about Florida. </s> The National Hurricane Center, which expects winds from Dorian to arrive across Florida on Saturday morning, said in its forecast the entire East Coast, from the Georgia border to just north of Key West, is in the cone of probability for landfall Sunday morning.

TALLAHASSEE — Most of Florida could see a wet Labor Day weekend, with the East Coast facing tropical-storm force or stronger winds from Tropical Storm Dorian.

In a tweet Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis advised East Coast residents to start preparing for Dorian.

“Based on the current track of #TropicalStormDorian, all residents on the East Coast should prepare for impacts, including strong winds, heavy rain and flooding,” DeSantis tweeted. “Make sure to have your supplies ready and follow @FLSERT (the Florida Division of Emergency Management) and local media for the latest updates on the forecast.”

DeSantis held a conference call with Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz and later with the entire state emergency response team.

With South Florida Water Management District meteorologists predicting rainfall of up to 8 inches in some areas over the weekend, the district announced Tuesday it has started to draw down canals to help local drainage districts and governments reduce flooding.

Forecasters remain uncertain on the track and strength of the hurricane season’s fourth tropical storm.

The National Hurricane Center, which expects winds from Dorian to arrive across Florida on Saturday morning, said in its forecast the entire East Coast, from the Georgia border to just north of Key West, is in the cone of probability for landfall Sunday morning.

“Whether it’s a remnant that doesn’t have a chance to regenerate or if it’s a hurricane, it does look like it’s going to take aim on the state of Florida,” said Mark Wool, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tallahassee. “The track may shift north or south a little bit. Currently, it’s forecast to track in somewhere just south of Cape Canaveral, so somewhere on the East-Central Florida coast.”

The center of Dorian was southeast of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola on Tuesday.

Wood said the current path could lead to mountains in Hispaniola disrupting the system, but Dorian could strengthen “once it passes by those islands and gets to the Bahamas.”

Wool noted the weather service is providing information to Florida State University, whose football team is playing Saturday in Jacksonville against Boise State.

“We are going to be keeping them informed about what conditions are going to be looking like there,” Wool said. “It has happened in the past where football games have been postponed because of tropical systems. We are going to make sure they have that information at the ready to make that call, if the time comes to do so.” </s> Tropical storm Dorian is wreaking havoc in the Atlantic Ocean, tracking heavy rainfall, severe winds and dangerous surf over Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and US and British Virgin Islands. Hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings are in force, as the weather system continues towards Florida. The National Hurricane Centre has issued advisories for wind, rain and surf as the weather system intensifies.

Currently, the storm is packing wind speeds of 60mph and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the centre. At first, Dorian was forecast to reach just Category One hurricane status before weakening, however now forecasters are predicting the weather system will strengthen to Category Two status before hitting Florida. A Category Two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale is classified as having wind speeds for between 96 and 109mph. The NHC describe Category Two hurricanes as having: “Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage: Well-constructed frame homes could sustain major roof and siding damage.

“Many shallowly rooted trees will be snapped or uprooted and block numerous roads. Near-total power loss is expected with outages that could last from several days to weeks.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Tuesday he had received a briefing from the Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Moskowitz and it is time to start preparing for Dorian. Mr DeSantis said: “Based on the current track of Tropical Storm Dorian, all residents on the East Coast should prepare for impacts, including strong winds, heavy rain and flooding. “Make sure to have your supplies ready and follow @FLSERT [Florida Division of Emergency Management] and local media for the latest updates on the forecast.” Read More: Hurricane Dorian spaghetti models: Dorian to become a hurricane

Currently, the weather system is approaching several Caribbean islands and is expected to be close to a Category One hurricane as it approaches Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic on Wednesday and Thursday according to CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen. For Puerto Rico, CNN meteorologist Chad Myers warned the storm could easily damage already fragile infrastructure on the island where 2,975 people died from Hurricane Maria two years ago. Mr Myers said: “There’s already so much damage on the ground from (Maria) that this isn’t going to take a lot to make a significant amount of damage, especially flooding.” A state of emergency has been declared on the island, and Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced urged people to prepare for the storm. Ms Vázquez said on Twitter: “For citizens who do not yet have safe roofs, we will have shelters ready.” </s> Florida has declared a state of emergency in anticipation of Tropical Storm Michael which is due to hit the US coast next week. The cyclone has already affected some of the campaign trails of the 2018 midterm election hopefuls.

On Sunday, Republican Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in 26 counties in the Florida Panhandle and in Big Bend, ahead of Tropical Storm Michael, which is now making its way through the Gulf of Mexico. Fearing that the natural calamity could become a Category 2 hurricane with winds up to 100 mph by the time it makes landfall next Wednesday, Scott has mobilized some 500 National Guard troops to assist with planning and logistics. An additional 5,500 guard members could be available for deployment if needed.

“Our state understands how serious tropical weather is and how devastating any hurricane or tropical storm can be,” Scott said. “As we continue to monitor this storm’s northward path toward Florida, it is critically important that our communities have every available resource to keep everyone safe and prepared.”

As of Sunday evening, Storm Michael, packing winds of 60 mph, was moving north at 5 mph just east of Cozumel, a Mexican island in the Caribbean, the National Hurricane Center reported. Wind speeds are expected to gain momentum over the next two days with the cyclone expected to "become a hurricane Monday night or Tuesday,” the center noted in its advisory.

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The Democratic nominee for governor, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, was forced to cancel his planned campaign stops in South Florida on Monday and Tuesday, deciding to stay in the city instead to help with storm preparations. GOP nominee Ron DeSantis, who hopes to replace term-limited Gov. Scott, has yet to follow suit but did announce that he will be "redirecting" Panhandle campaign staff to help "prepare their communities ahead of the storm."

Gov. Scott, who will be running for a Senate seat, also suspended his campaign activity for the "next few days," his spokesperson told CNN. His Democratic rival, Sen. Bill Nelson has not yet announced any alteration to his campaign plans.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! </s> TAMPA, Fla. -- Winds from strengthening Hurricane Hermine lashed at Florida's northern Gulf Coast late on Thursday, forcing residents to evacuate some coastal areas and stock up on provisions ahead of what the state's governor warned would be a lethal storm.

Hermine, expected to be the first hurricane to make landfall in the state in more than a decade, also posed a Labor Day weekend threat to states along the northern Atlantic Coast that are home to tens of millions of people.

On Thursday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center extended a tropical storm watch to Sandy Hook, N.J.

Hermine became the fourth hurricane of the 2016 season around midafternoon when its sustained winds reached 75 mph. Located about 85 miles south of Apalachicola, Fla., late afternoon, it was expected to make landfall early on Friday.

Hermine could dump as much as 20 inches of rain in some parts of the state. Ocean storm surge could swell as high as 12 feet. Isolated tornadoes were forecast.

After battering coastal Florida, Hermine is expected to weaken and move across the northern part of the state into Georgia, then southern U.S. coastal regions on the Atlantic.

The governors of Georgia and North Carolina on Thursday declared emergencies in affected regions. In South Carolina, the low-lying coastal city of Charleston was handing out sandbags.

Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in 51 of Florida's 67 counties, and at least 20 counties closed schools. Mandatory evacuations were ordered in parts of five counties in northwestern Florida and voluntary evacuations were in place in at least three more counties.

"This is life threatening," Scott told reporters on Thursday afternoon. "You can rebuild a home. You can rebuild property. You cannot rebuild a life."

In coastal Franklin County, people on barrier islands and low-lying areas on the shore were being evacuated.

"Those on higher ground are stocking up and hunkering down," said Pamela Brownlee, the county's director of emergency management.

The last hurricane to make landfall in Florida was Wilma in 2005, the hurricane center said.

Towns, cities and counties were hastily preparing shelters for people and pets and placing electric line repair crews on standby ahead of the storm.

The storm was expected to affect many areas inland of the Gulf Coast. In Leon County, which includes the state capital of Tallahassee, more than 30,000 sandbags were distributed.

At Maximo Marina in St. Petersburg, Florida, dock master Joe Burgess watched anxiously as waters rose 6 inches over the dock at high tide on Thursday afternoon, before slowly receding.

"If we get hit with a real storm head on, all the provisions you can make aren't going to matter out here," he said, ready to use a chainsaw to cut beams on covered slips if rising water pushed boats dangerously close to the roof. "It'd be pretty catastrophic."

On its current path, the storm also could dump as much as 10 inches of rain on coastal areas of Georgia, which was under a tropical storm watch, and the Carolinas. Forecasters warned of "life-threatening" floods and flash floods there.

Still, many people in Florida, whose population has swelled since the last hurricane struck, saw Hermine less as a threat than entertainment.

Manatees on the Bay, a restaurant and bar on the waterfront in the Tampa Bay region, was offering storm drink specials including beer and shots.

"We thought about doing a hurricane," said owner Perry Murphree, referring to the name of a popular sweet cocktail. "But I don't want to tempt fate."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declares a state of emergency in anticipation of Hurricane Dorian, which is expected to make landfall in the state within days.