All eyes have been focused on Tropical Storm Dorian, and whether or not Florida lies in its path. As of now, Florida is within the storm’s forecast cone, and the storm is shown off the coast of South Florida around 2 a.m. this Sunday. According to an advisory this morning from the National Hurricane Center, the storm is 1,500 miles from South Florida, with sustained winds of 50 mph, and is moving northwest at 13 mph. Although considered a weaker storm physically, those who experienced damage from previous hurricane seasons are preparing.
“On the forecast track, the center of Dorian is expected to move across the Windward Islands and into the eastern Caribbean Sea during the next several hours. Dorian is forecast to pass near or south of Puerto Rico on Wednesday, move near or over eastern Hispaniola Wednesday night, and move north of Hispaniola on Thursday,” Senior Hurricane Specialist John Cangialosi wrote in this morning’s weather advisory.
According to the NHC’s recent update, the storm is forecast to sustain winds over the next five days that are close to, but below the strength of a hurricane. A hurricane is marked by a minimum speed of 74 mph.
How Florida gets affected may depend on how Dorian passes through the high terrain of The Dominican Republic and Haiti, which make up the island of Hispaniola.
Dennis Feltgen, spokesperson for the National Hurricane Center, mentioned on Monday, “It is far too early to determine what impacts to the U.S. in general or South Florida in particular could occur as a result of Dorian. As of right now, residents do not yet need to activate their hurricane plan, but they should make sure they have one."
Dorian is following a late August route common for hurricane season. The storm is moving across the Atlantic into the Caribbean, which is typical during peak hurricane season. Also, the storm is projected to move northwest on Wednesday. This movement is another common aspect for peak season storms. This turn northwest is what could steer the storm towards Florida.
Although it is unclear whether or not The Villages will be impacted, it is still advised to remain prepared. We will monitor the storm and provide updates over the next few days.
The graphic is provided by the NHC, along with a link to their site below.
TROPICAL STORM DORIAN