How To Prepare For A Hurricane | HuffPost Latest News

Hurricane Dorian skirted Puerto Rico Wednesday as it moved northward, on pace to make landfall in Florida by Monday morning, strengthening as it does so.

The National Hurricane Center warned Thursday that Dorian could swell into a Category 4 storm in the next 72 hours, with winds around 130 mph. Those winds could potentially begin to reach Florida as early as Saturday evening:

Tropical-storm-force winds from #Dorian could begin in parts of Florida *as early as* Saturday evening or Saturday night. Now is the time to begin thinking about what kinds of preparations you might need to make over the next couple of days. https://t.co/yChCF6oWL9 pic.twitter.com/sY8jyYVaxz

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Tropical-storm-force winds from #Dorian could begin in parts of Florida *as early as* Saturday evening or Saturday night. Now is the time to begin thinking about what kinds of preparations you might need to make over the next couple of days. https://t.co/yChCF6oWL9 pic.twitter.com/sY8jyYVaxz
National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 29, 2019

Coastal sections of the southeastern United States should expect to see Dorian drop four to eight inches of rain, with isolated regions seeing as much as 12 inches.

In advance of the storm, which, due to its unpredictable nature, could make landfall almost anywhere along Floridas eastern coast, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) declared a state of emergency Thursday that includes all of the states 67 counties.

Its important for Floridians on the East Coast to monitor this storm closely, DeSantis said in a statement announcing the declaration. Every Florida resident should have seven days of supplies, including food, water and medicine, and should have a plan in case of disaster.

Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz echoed that caution and encouraged Floridians to pay attention to updates on the storms trajectory given its uncertain path.

If Dorian makes landfall as a Category 4 storm, it would be the strongest hurricane to hit Floridas east coast since Hurricane Andrew , which wreaked havoc as a Category 5 storm in 1992 .

With that in mind, heres some basic hurricane preparedness advice: