Hurricane Dorian Creates 'Cone Of Uncertainty' Across Florida

MIAMI, FL — As Hurricane Dorian churns toward the Sunshine State, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he has expanded his state of emergency to include all 67 counties and he acknowledged that planning has been complicated by the relatively large area in the storm's path. Store shelves are beginning to empty and some gas stations in one county are running short on fuel.

"When you have a cone of uncertainty that stretches to the entire state, pre-positioning assets is a little bit more difficult to know where that most makes sense," the governor told reporters Thursday outside the National Hurricane Center. "But as the track becomes more clear, we will be going to do that as well." See also Dorian Could Be 'Major Hurricane' With Dangerous Storm Surge: NHC

DeSantis urged Floridians to continue making preparations as shoppers emptied store shelves of water and formed long lines outside some gas stations throughout the state.

"One of the things that the state of emergency allows us to do is to get more fuel into the gas stations," DeSantis said. "We've heard reports of there being fuel shortages already in places like Brevard County."

Long lines could be seen forming outside some Costco locations, where shoppers carted away cases of water and at gas stations.

Ethan Flor waited in line to fill up his car at a Valero gas station near Miami on Thursday, but he said he would have come even without the storm.

"We're going to come back and fill gas again," he said urging everyone to think optimistic thoughts. "Hopefully, a high pressure system will come and nothing will happen."

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Gonzalo Martinez said he also was filling up his tank simply because he needed gas, not because of the hurricane.

"I don't care about the hurricane," he said, adding that he did purchase two cases of water just in case. "The house is really safe."

DeSantis said the state of emergency allows for the mobilization of the National Guard.

"With a track like this it's uncertain where to deploy them," he said. "But obviously the National Guard is going to be on deck for this."

SEE ALSO:

• Hurricane Dorian: Do You Have An Emergency Plan And What Is It?
• Dorian Could Become A Cat 3 Or Even A Cat 4; Here's Why
• Improper Use Of Portable Generators Can Have Deadly Outcome
• NOAA Expects More Hurricanes In 2019: Updated Forecast
• Polk County To Open Sandbag Filling Stations Ahead Of Dorian
• Use Of Nukes To Tame Hurricanes Among Ideas Scientists Explored

DeSantis said he spoke with President Donald Trump on Wednesday and will be asking for a pre-landfall declaration from the federal government for protective measures and direct federal assistance for generators and pumps.

"He assured me that the federal government would be with us every step of the way," the governor said. "I have also spoken with the acting FEMA director. He assured me that they are going to be working closely with us. A FEMA regional representative will be in the state EOC in Tallahassee."

The governor urged Florida residents to have seven days of food, medicine and water on hand and said it is likely that anyone affected by the storm will lose power.

"I've spoken with the president of Florida Power & light. They are going to be mobilizing resources from across the southeast because the state has stressed the importance of getting the power back on once it goes out," DeSantis said. "There's doing it but there's no way you can have a storm of this significance and not lose power. So just prepare for that."

The governor said areas that typically experience flooding during a significant rain event will be particularly vulnerable if Dorian hits.

"If you are impacted by this storm you are going to see a lot of water," he said. "Even in terms of interior parts of the state can be affected by really significant amounts of rain. We have rivers. We have different bodies of water. Be prepared for a lot of water."

He said Florida residents should familiarize themselves with evacuation routes in the event that an evacuation is ordered.

"If local authorities do order an evacuation heed their call because they are looking at possible impacts in their areas," the governor said. "If they see really significant storm surge affecting a certain area, that can be life threatening. Heed the call and evacuate if you are asked to."

The governor said the Florida Department of Transportation will also waive tolls on public highways in the event that an evacuation is ordered.

"Obviously, we are always bringing new people into the state," the governor said. "If you do use a generator, make sure you are using that generator properly. Do not let the exhaust go into your home. That can be fatal. Use that in the proper way and talk to your neighbors if you've never been through a hurricane here because we do have a lot of corporate knowledge recently."

The governor said he anticipates school districts will be announcing closures as events warrant though schools were already planning to be closed on Monday for Labor Day. School closures can be found on www.fldoe.org/hurricaneinfo.

DeSantis said a statewide emergency status system has been activated for healthcare facilities to enter their storm preparedness status, including generators and utility company information, emergency contacts and bed availability.

The governor urged motorists to visit www.fl.511.com for road information. People who are willing to volunteer their time and resources can visit www.volunteerflorida.org.

Travel website Expedia has also set up an emergency accommodations module ahead of the storm. Visit www.expedia.com/florida.

"You can make a case that this can have an affect in virtually every part of the state," the governor asserted. "The time to act is now. If you haven't acted to make preparations, do not wait until it's too late."