Hurricane Dorian has gained fearsome new muscle as an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm, bearing down on rthwestern Bahamas early Saturday en route to Florida’s east coast. Millions of people in Florida, along with state’s Walt Disney World and President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, are in potential cross hairs of hurricane. Forecasters say Dorian, which h top sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph) Friday night, will threaten Florida peninsula late Monday or early Tuesday. 

“re is hope” 

But National Hurricane Center in Miami cautioned that its meteorologists remain uncertain wher Dorian would make a devastating direct strike on state’s east coast or inflict a glancing blow. Some of more reliable computer models predicted a late turn rthward that would have Dorian hug Florida coast. “re is hope,” Wear Underground meteorology director Jeff Masters said. 

faint hope of dodging Dorian’s fury came Friday, even as storm ratcheted up from a menacing Category 3 hurricane to an even more dangerous Category 4. That raised fears Dorian could become most powerful hurricane to hit Florida’s east coast in nearly 30 years. 

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Dorian’s track remains highly uncertain 

National Hurricane Center projections showed Dorian hitting roughly near Fort Pierce, some 70 miles (113 kilometers) rth of Mar-a-Lago, n running along coastline as it moved rth. But forecasters cautioned that storm’s track remains still highly uncertain and even a small deviation could put Dorian offshore — or well inland. 

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State of emergency in Florida 

Trump has declared a state of emergency in Florida and authorized Federal Emergency Manment ncy to coordinate disaster-relief efforts. He told reporters that “Mar-a-Lago can handle itself” and that he is more worried about Florida. 

“This is big and is growing, and it still has some time to get worse,” Julio Vasquez said at a Miami fast-food joint next to a gas station that h run out of fuel. “ one kws what can really happen. This is serious.” 

immediate mass evacuations

As Dorian closed in, Labor Day weekend plans were upended. Major airlines began allowing travelers to change ir reservations without fees. big cruise lines began rerouting ir ships. Disney World and Orlando’s or resorts found mselves in storm’s projected path. 

Still, with Dorian days away and its track uncertain, Disney and or major resorts held off anuncing any closings, and Florida authorities ordered immediate mass evacuations. “Sometimes if you evacuate too soon, you may evacuate into path of storm if it changes,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. 

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Some counties anunce mandatory evacuations

But some counties anunced mandatory evacuations ahe of time on Friday. Brevard County and Martin County officials anunced residents of barrier islands, mobile homes and low-lying areas would be under a mandatory evacuation order beginning Sunday morning. Brevard County order includes Kennedy Center. Indian River County officials said y will recommend residents of its barrier island voluntarily evacuate once hurricane warnings are issued. 

Homeowners and businesses rushed to cover ir windows with plywood. Supermarkets ran out of bottled water, and long lines formed at gas stations, with some fuel shorts reported. At a Publix supermarket in Cocoa Beach, Ed Ciecirski of customer service department said pharmacy was extra busy with people rushing to fill prescriptions. grocery was rationing bottled water and h run out of dry ice. “It’s hairy,” he said. 

Early Saturday, Dorian was centered 510 miles (820 kilometers) east of West Palm Beach. It was moving rthwest at 10 mph (17 kph). Forecasters warned that its slow movement means Florida could face a prolonged wallop of wind, storm surge and torrential rain. Coastal areas could get 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) of rain, with 18 inches (46 centimeters) in some places, triggering life-threatening flash floods, hurricane center said.

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“Do t be foolish”: PM Huberts

“Do t be foolish and try to brave out this hurricane,” Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said. “ price you may pay for t evacuating is your life.”  Also imperiled were Bahamas, where canned food and bottled water were disappearing quickly from shelves and sound of hammering echoed across islands as people boarded up ir homes. Dorian was expected to hit rthwestern part of Bahamas by Sunday with potential for life-threatening storm surge that could raise water levels 15 feet (5 meters) above rmal.