Hurricane Dorian intensifies as it heads for US

By Meg Wagner, Fernando Alfonso III, Mike Hayes and Paul P. Murphy, CNN

Updated 9:51 a.m. ET, September 1, 2019
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11:57 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

President Trump approves emergency declaration for Florida

President Trump has approved a state of emergency declaration for the state of Florida ahead of Hurricane Dorian.

Trump's actions "authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts," the White House said in a statement.

Here's the full statement:

11:41 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

Broward County will declare a local state of emergency

Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen said a local state of emergency in Broward County will be declared this afternoon. 

Declaring a local state of emergency, Bogen said, allows for local officials to call for an evacuation order and declare curfews, if needed.

Bogen said no evacuation orders have been announced at this time, and county officials continue to monitor closely Dorian's track.  

All school events in Broward County have been canceled Saturday through Monday, according to Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie. 

Runcie said the school district would continue to amend/ update any potential closures for next week. 

11:24 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

When a Florida gas station ran out of fuel, some people left their cars there overnight

From CNN's Gianluca Mezzofiore

Marion Wilkinson Scott lives in Miami with his wife and two daughters. 

He posted on Twitter a picture of a car left over night at a gas station in West Kendall, with a letter on the dash: "My name is ____. I live close by. My car is out of gas. Please call me when more arrives! Tel: ____."

Scott told CNN he feels apprehensive over Hurricane Dorian approaching Florida. 

“We stocked up last week when it was a tropical storm and have reservations for a hurricane-proof hotel with generator in Bonita Springs,” he said 

He said he's worried about his two young daughters.

“I have two little girls. I don't need for them to be in the heat once the electricity goes. We have shutters on our home. I'm glad we filled or tanks last week and have provisions. It is difficult to heed warnings when there is no gas at the station and no water in the market. Our tub will be filled.”

“We are people of faith. We went to the church to pray,” he added.

11:12 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

How electric scooter companies in Miami are preparing for Dorian

Shared electric scooters are seen in Santa Monica, California.
Shared electric scooters are seen in Santa Monica, California. ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

In preparation for Hurricane Dorian, Lyft is storing all its scooters starting at noon today, per requirements from the City of Miami, according to Lyft spokesperson Kaityln Carl.

Each of the 244 scooters will be picked up by Lyft's operations team and will be secured in a warehouse. 

"The safety of our community is fundamental to Lyft," Carl said. "We will resume operations only once conditions improve and will continue to follow the guidance provided by the City of Miami."

Bird, another e-scooter company, provided CNN with the following statement:

"In anticipation of Hurricane Dorian we're working closely with city officials and local authorities and have a team closely dedicated to monitoring weather conditions. We are collecting and safely storing our scooters in the City of Miami."
10:55 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

Dorian will be "an extremely dangerous major hurricane soon"

Hurricane Dorian is still a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center's 11 a.m. ET advisory.

To become a Category 3 storm, Dorian needs maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph. Category 3 hurricanes and up are considered major storms.

Forecasters believe Dorian will be a Category 4 hurricane by the time it makes landfall in Florida.

"Dorian is expected to become an extremely dangerous major hurricane soon with additional strengthening likely as it heads for the northwestern Bahamas and the Florida Peninsula," the center said in the advisory.

Here's a look at the latest predicted track:

10:51 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

Scores of lightning strikes seen in and around Hurricane Dorian

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shared a satellite image of the lightning strikes associated with Hurricane Dorian. As of Friday morning, the storm is a Category 2 hurricane, but is expected to make landfall as a Category 4.

The image captures strikes from this morning.

"Take a look at all that lightning!" the agency tweeted.

10:43 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

An eye is starting to form in Hurricane Dorian

CNN Meteorologist Judson Jones

NOAA/CIRA/RAMMB
NOAA/CIRA/RAMMB

In the most recent visible satellite imagery, you can see an eye beginning to emerge in the center of Hurricane Dorian. 

What this means: The eye is the storm. If you are in the eye, you can see the stadium effect — where the clouds stack up like a stadium.

The formation of an eye is an indication that Dorian is intensifying and becoming better organized.

Here's a look at the emerging eye:

10:34 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

Norwegian Cruise Line adjusts its schedules around Dorian

Norwegian Breakaway
Norwegian Breakaway

Norwegian Cruise Line has changed the itineraries for its Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Sky, and Norwegian Sun ships ahead of Hurricane Dorian's landfall.

Here's how the schedules have shifted:

Norwegian Breakaway

For the cruise sailing on Aug. 25
As scheduled, Norwegian Breakaway will call to Cozumel, Mexico, on Friday. At this time, the company is uncertain if the ship will be able to return to Miami, Florida, on Sunday as planned. As such, the ship will extend its time and overnight in Cozumel until Sunday, departing at 5 p.m. During this time, guests will have the option to conclude their cruise and arrange their return home or remain on board. Guests who choose to end their cruise in Cozumel will receive a 25% future cruise credit.
The company asks guests to remain on board and will provide an update on the anticipated return date to Miami by 8 p.m. or sooner on Friday.
For the cruise sailing on Sept. 1
Norwegian is monitoring the storm and will provide an update by 8 p.m. or sooner Friday.

Norwegian Sky

For the cruise sailing on Aug. 26
Norwegian Sky will no longer call to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas, and instead will return to Miami, Florida, a day early on Friday. Guests will have the opportunity to remain on board until 7 a.m. on Saturday. Due to the shortened cruise, all guests will receive a 20% refund from the original cruise fare paid. 
For the cruise sailing on August 31
The company is monitoring the storm and will provide an update by 3 p.m. or sooner on Friday.

Norwegian Sun

Norwegian Sun departed from Port Canaveral, Florida, on Thursday, as scheduled. Her calls to Nassau, Great Stirrup Cay, and Freeport, Bahamas, have been cancelled. Instead, the ship will spend a day at sea on Friday, August 30, and will call to Cozumel, Mexico, on Saturday. The ship will remain at sea on Sunday and is scheduled to return to Port Canaveral on Monday.
Guests who booked shore excursions for any of the original ports of call through our shore excursion team, will receive a refund credited to their onboard account. 

10:05 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

NASA is moving the launch platform that will eventually take astronauts to Mars

From CNN's Dan Shepherd

NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images
NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

NASA has moved a launch platform at Kennedy Space Center ahead of Hurricane Dorian, Gregory Harland, a spokesperson for the space center, said.

The Mobile Launch Platform left Launch Pad 39B at 6 a.m. today. It's being moved 3.5 miles away to the Vehicle Assembly Building.

The platform cost $650 million and is the only one available for the Space Launch System, which will eventually take NASA back to the moon and ultimately to Mars.

Once secured, the Kennedy Space Center will have a skeleton staff on site throughout the storm, Harland added.