- Hurricane Dorian is expected to hit Florida as a Category 3 hurricane by Monday morning.
- Its sustained wind speeds have reached 80 mph, and the storm is currently near Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellites have monitored the storm's progress.
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Across the Caribbean, island residents have docked boats, emptied grocery stores, and boarded up buildings in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, which became a Category 1 storm on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, high up in Earth's orbit, satellites belonging to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) watched the hurricane form and churn.
The storm has passed Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands and is veering toward open waters east of the Bahamas. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) expects Dorian to hit Florida as a Category 3 hurricane with sustained wind speeds of at least 111 miles per hour on Monday morning.
Dorian passed near the islands of Barbados and Saint Lucia on Tuesday night as a tropical storm.
"When you're dead, you're dead. Stay inside and get some rest," Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Mottley warned on Sunday.
Barbados residents heeded her advice, piling sand to prevent flooding and rushing to supermarkets to purchase supplies.
For local forecasts, watches, and warnings related to Tropical Storm #Dorian, you can follow these official accounts:
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 28, 2019
Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands: @NWSSanJuan
British Virgin Islands: @abmetservice
Dominican Republic: @onametRD pic.twitter.com/gULKPC9NF1
Parts of Barbados lost power, and boats on St. Lucia filled with water, but the islands emerged relatively unscathed.
By Wednesday morning, satellites revealed the storm's cloud pattern becoming more organized.
The NHC officially upgraded Dorian to a hurricane on Wednesday afternoon as it passed over the US Virgin Islands, with wind speeds of 74 mph.
After the NHC issued a hurricane watch for Puerto Rico, the territory's new governor, Wanda Vázquez Garced, declared a state of emergency and made 360 shelters available to people who still have damaged roofs from Hurricane Maria.
By Wednesday evening the storm had developed a definitive eye, the NHC said.
As Hurricane Dorian enters open Atlantic waters east of the Bahamas, the NHC expects it to gain strength and become a Category 3 hurricane.
"All indications are that by this Labor Day weekend, a powerful hurricane will be near the Florida or southeastern coast of the United States," the NHC said in a statement.
As it approaches Florida, Dorian could bring 4 to 8 inches of rainfall to coastal areas of the southeastern US, with some areas seeing up to 10 inches. This rain could cause "life-threatening" flash floods, the NHC said.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in preparation for Dorian's landfall.
"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," DeSantis said in a release. "The state stands ready to support all counties along the coast as they prepare."
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