Free Republic

Tropical Storm Dorian strengthened overnight as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were warned to brace for hurricane conditions with possible heavy rains and “life-threatening" flash floods today, the National Hurricane Center said in its 8 a.m. Wednesday update. The storm is expected to grow in size and could hit Florida as a Category 2 hurricane by late Sunday or early Monday. Overnight, winds picked up to 60 mph as the storm made its expected northwest turn, and a hurricane watch was issued for Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. President Trump declared an emergency Tuesday...

Although Tropical Storm Dorian’s five-day forecast cone now reaches South Florida, its effects will be felt by the time it nears Puerto Rico, where a hurricane watch and and tropical storm warning were issued early Tuesday. At 8 a.m. Tuesday, Dorian was located about 15 miles southeast of St. Lucia — or about 1,500 miles from South Florida — with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and moving toward the northwest at 13 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. According to the latest update, Dorian is forecast to have winds close to, but below, hurricane strength during the next...