Hurricane Dorian Slips By Puerto Rico, Heads Toward Florida

After slipping past Puerto Rico, Hurricane Dorian is heading with gathering force toward Florida’s east coast where it may bring 115 mile-per-hour winds and drenching rain when it hits there sometime early next week.

Dorian is set to be the first major hurricane to slam into Florida’s east coast in 15 years. It reached St. Croix and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands Wednesday afternoon, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, and is expected to stay over the water, gaining strength in its northwest march toward Florida.

While Puerto Rico’s east end saw heavy rain from the storm’s outer bands, the main part of the island remained largely unaffected, easing concern Dorian might further devastate an island still recovering from Hurricane Maria’s 155 mph winds in 2017. Now, Florida is in Dorian’s crosshairs, spurring concern from residents, vacationers and citrus farmers.

"Really anybody from Miami to Myrtle Beach has to be on guard for this,’’ said Jake Sojda, a meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc. in State College, Pennsylvania. The error rate for storm projections five days out is usually about 200 miles, he said.