Puerto Rico Braces For Dorian; FL Threat Unclear

MIAMI, FL — Tropical Storm Dorian was forecast to be near hurricane strength when it approaches Puerto Rico Wednesday as officials warned of possible landslides, flooding and power outages. Weather officials said the potential threat to Florida was still unclear but they told Floridians to monitor the storm closely and have a plan.

"Uncertainty in the intensity forecast later this week remains higher than usual due a large spread in model guidance," the National Hurricane Center said late Tuesday.

Meteorologist Ariel Cohen with the National Weather Service in Miami told Patch that Dorian has the potential to change as it passes through the land areas of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola.

"That would have the potential to weaken the storm," Cohen explained. "Now that casts some uncertainty in terms of how its evolution occurs later on going down into the late week to weekend time frame."

See also:

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The storm was located 275 miles east, southeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph as of 11 p.m. Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm is expected to pass over or near western and central Puerto Rico on Wednesday as President Donald Trump declared an emergency Tuesday night and ordered federal assistance for local authorities.

“Practically the entire island will be under sustained tropical storm force winds,” said Roberto García, director of U.S. National Weather Service San Juan, during a press conference late Tuesday.

Weather officials said tropical force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center of Dorian.

"Dorian is moving toward the northwest near 13 mph ... and this general motion is expected to continue through Thursday," the National Hurricane Center said.

"On the forecast track, the center of Dorian will move across the northeastern Caribbean Sea overnight, pass over or near Puerto Rico on Wednesday, and move near or just east of eastern Hispaniola Wednesday night," weather officials said. "Dorian is forecast to move near or to the east of the Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas on Thursday night, and near or to the east of the central Bahamas on Friday."

A hurricane watch was in effect for Puerto Rico.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands and the Dominican Public from Isla Saona to Samana.

A tropical storm watch was in effect for the Dominican Republic from Isla Saona to Puerto Plata.

"Slow strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours, and Dorian is forecast to be near hurricane strength when it approaches Puerto Rico on Wednesday," weather officials said. "Some weakening is expected after Dorian moves across the higher terrain of Puerto Rico."

The National Hurricane Center said that Dorian is expected to gradually re-strengthen on Thursday and Friday while passing near or to the east of the Turks and Caicos and southeastern and central Bahamas.

In Puerto Rico, some grocery stores had run out of bottled water as people rushed to buy supplies including generators and filled their cars with gas.

Jorge Ortiz, a 50-year-old construction worker, was taking no chances. Wiping sweat from his brow, Ortiz climbed up a shaky ladder under a punishing morning sun and tied down pieces of zinc that now serve as his roof because Maria ripped the second floor off his house when it hit on Sept. 20, 2017.
He was forced to rebuild everything himself and finished just three months ago with no assistance from the local or federal government.

“They told me I didn’t qualify because it was a total loss,” he said, shaking his head as he added that he was wary. “I’m worried that despite all this sacrifice, I’ll lose it again.”

Many are worried about power outages and heavy rains on an island still struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm that hit nearly two years ago. Some 30,000 homes still have blue tarps as roofs and the electrical grid remains fragile and prone to outages even during brief rain showers.

About 45 members of Miami-Dade County's Fire Rescue's Urban Search and Rescue Team (Florida Task Force 1) were preparing to deploy from the Miami area to San Juan ahead of Tropical Storm Dorian.

The team provides search and rescue capabilities, medical support, communications and damage assessment as well as coordinating the distribution of relief supplies.

Another 25 first responders from Miami Fire Rescue, all members of Florida Task Force 2, arrived in Puerto Rico on Tuesday and were heading to St Croix.

The U.S. Coast Guard in Puerto Rico advised boaters in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgins Islands to prepare for the possibility of sustained gale force winds greater than 39 mph.

"The Coast Guard strongly cautions the maritime community to remain vigilant and take the necessary precautions as Tropical Storm Dorian makes way into Eastern Caribbean waters," the Coast Guard said.

Earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that weather researchers now believe there will be more hurricanes in 2019 than previously expected.

The updated hurricane season outlook calls for 10 to 17 named storms, of which five to nine are expected to become hurricanes. Two to four of those could become major hurricanes, according to NOAA.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.