Dorian feared to become Category 4 hurricane on way to Florida

Hurricane Dorian is expected to become a "major" Category 4 hurricane within three days as it approaches the east coast of Florida, according to the forecast from the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).

After sideswiping Puerto Rico and passing through St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Dorian was centered about 370 miles east of the Bahamas as of 11:00 a.m. EDT, with maximum sustained winds of about 85 miles (140 km) per hour, indicating that it's currently a Category 1 hurricane, according to the NHC.

The NHC predicted that Dorian's peak winds could reach 130 miles (209 km) per hour as it barrels northwestward toward Florida during the weekend, becoming a Category 4 hurricane.

Category 4 is the second-highest in the hurricane wind speed scale, with maximum sustained winds ranging from 130 miles per hour to 156 miles (251 km) miles per hour. Hurricanes above Category 3 are considered major hurricanes.

"The risk of devastating hurricane-force winds along the Florida east coast and peninsula late this weekend and early next week continues to increase, although it is too soon to determine where the strongest winds will occur," the NHC said.

Heavy rains are expected in the coastal sections of the U.S. southeast, the NHC said, adding that the area will possibly receive 4 to 8 inches of rainfall, with isolated areas potentially experiencing up to 12 inches.

"Hurricane Dorian looks like it will be hitting Florida late Sunday night," U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday. "Be prepared and please follow State and Federal instructions, it will be a very big Hurricane, perhaps one of the biggest!"

The president has approved an emergency declaration requests from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, authorizing disaster relief efforts by the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He thanked FEMA and others for their responsiveness in a separate tweet Thursday.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday declared a state of emergency for the counties that are in the path of Dorian to ensure that "state and local governments and emergency management agencies have ample time, resources and flexibility to get prepared," read an announcement carried by the governor's website.