While fortunes looked to be taking a turn for the better, forecasters now say Tropical Storm Dorian could be a hurricane by the time it reaches Florida this weekend. The National Hurricane Center's forecast shows the storm strengthening to a hurricane on Friday.
It's expected to make landfall on Florida's east coast Sunday night and before Dorian is done – isolated areas of the Sunshine State could get up to seven inches of rain. Dorian is currently moving across the eastern Caribbean and is expected to hit Puerto Rico later today.
With that in mind, President Trump is approving an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico as the storm bears down on the island territory. The decision frees up federal resources to help local response efforts. At last check, forecasters say Puerto Rico could get four to six inches of rain, with isolated areas getting up to eight inches. They are also warning about powerful winds.
Meanwhile, the President is appearing to blame Puerto Rico for their storm situation. "Wow! Yet another big storm heading to Puerto Rico," he offers via Twitter. “Will it ever end?" Trump went on to insist that Congress approved more than 90-billion-dollars in aid for Puerto Rico last year and called it an "all-time record of its kind." But that’s not exactly true. The FEMA website shows $40.7-billion has been allocated (Congress appropriated the spending) through December 2018. The island has received less than $14-billion through May of this year. While more has been promised, it would take years for that final figure to be revealed – though under the Stafford Act, it could reach $50-billion.
Source: CBS News
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