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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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9:38 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

There's a fuel shortage across Florida as Dorian heads toward the state

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis acknowledged that there is a fuel shortage across state as Hurricane Dorian approaches.

DeSantis said they are taking steps to fix this issue.

“We, in the emergency declaration, waived service and truck rates for fuel trucks so we can increase capacity for fuel being brought in. We're also going to be starting today implementing Florida Highway Patrol escorts for fuel trucks so we can increase fueling in critical parts of the state.” DeSantis said. 

During a morning briefing, DeSantis added that because of the decreased speed of the storm, they are expecting Dorian to be “multi-day” event.

9:23 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

These are the Trump-owned properties in Dorian's path

by CNN's Betsy Klein

There are at least nine Trump Organization-owned and Trump personally owned properties in South Florida that are in the path of Hurricane Dorian.

There are no evacuation orders in place yet, but CNN has reached out to the Trump Organization for updates on whether they plan to close any of the properties.

“Be prepared and please follow State and Federal instructions, it will be a very big Hurricane, perhaps one of the biggest!” President Trump tweeted Thursday morning.

 In addition to his property ownership, Trump has said he considers Florida home.

“I am thrilled to be back in my second home. That's what it is. It's my second home. In many cases, I think I could say it's my first home, if you want to know the truth. It's the great state of Florida,” he said during a June campaign rally in Orlando.

As Florida braced for Hurricane Irma in 2017, Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property closed for hurricane preparations following a mandatory evacuation order.

Here's a list of the properties: 

  • Trump Towers in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
  • Trump National Doral
  • Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida
  • Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach
  • Trump Hollywood Hollywood Beach, Florida
  • Trump Grande in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
  • Mar-A-Lago 
  • Two private homes in West Palm Beach 
9:15 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

These 9 Florida colleges and universities are closed through Tuesday

At least nine colleges and universities are closing their campuses ahead of Hurricane Dorian, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced at a news conference moments ago.

The following schools will be closed starting today through Tuesday:

  • Daytona State College
  • Eastern Florida State College
  • Indian River State College
  • Valencia College
  • Seminole State College
  • Florida Atlantic University
  • Florida Polytechnic University
  • Florida International University
  • The University of Central Florida

Watch more:

9:02 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

SOON: Florida governor gives an update on the storm

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will hold a news conference in Tallahassee about Hurricane Dorian at 9 a.m. ET.

Every Florida county is under a state of emergency as storm preparations continue.

Right now, Dorian is a Category 2 storm, but it's expected to intensify before making landfall.

If it hits as a Category 4 storm on Monday, it will be the strongest hurricane to strike Florida's East Coast since Andrew in 1992, according to CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller.

8:39 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

How vacationers at Disney World and Universal can prepare for Dorian

With Hurricane Dorian expected to slam Florida on Labor Day, vacationers at Disney World and Universal Orlando should begin preparing now.

This advice comes from Robert Niles, editor of Theme Park Insider, who told CNN that these parks have detailed plans for riding out hurricanes, which have been activated several times in the past.

If hurricane-force winds threaten the parks, they will close, Niles said.

So far, Disney and Universal have not issued press releases about park operations duirng the storm.

The best thing tourists can do in the case of a hurricane is to avoid or leave that area, Niles said.

"It's not so much getting through the storm itself as enduing the aftermath. As a tourist, you don't need to be taking up resources that locals need to recover. That said, if you've spent a lot of money on a Disney vacation, they will do their best to take care of you while you are here — storm or no. Just do follow instructions from the resort."

Niles encourages vacationers to stock up on bottled water and shelf-stable food and get a full tank of gas before the storm hits.

8:29 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

Florida utility company prepares for Dorian

 

Florida Power and Light has activated its emergency response plan for Hurricane Dorian, according to a press release from the company.

 Here are some steps the company is taking:

  • Nearly 13,000 Florida Power and Light employees and additional personnel are ready to help restore power.
  • The company said it is working with utilities nationwide to get extra crews and equipment ahead of landfall.
  • The company is urging customers to make preparations now. Customers can download the Florida Power and Light app by texting the word "App" to 69375.
8:09 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

He moved to Florida 3 months ago, so this is his first hurricane

From CNN's Gianluca Mezzofiore

Windermere, Florida, resident Dango Kumwenda said he waited in line for almost two hours to pump gas at a local station.

Kumwenda posted a video of long lines of cars waiting to fill their cars at the Winter Garden Wawa gas station to his Twitter account.

“This was probably the only gas station within like a 10-mile radius with gas,” he told CNN. 

The 24-year-old, who works as a personal loan specialist, said this is his first storm. He moved to Florida about three months ago.

“I’m not really sure how to feel about it, to be honest,” he said. “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried, but everyone else around here feels like they can ride it out so it’s putting me at ease a little bit.”

Kumwenda also posted a picture of empty shelves at the local Walmart. Take a look:

The shelves at Kumwenda's local Walmart have been cleared by residents preparing for the storm.
The shelves at Kumwenda's local Walmart have been cleared by residents preparing for the storm. Dango Kumwenda

7:57 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

Dorian's winds are one mph shy of being a Category 3

The National Hurricane Center just released its 8 a.m. ET advisory for Hurricane Dorian.

The storm is still a Category 2 with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. 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.

Here's the latest forecast from the center:

8:34 a.m. ET, August 30, 2019

Universal Studios is open — for now

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is seen at the Universal Orlando Resort
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is seen at the Universal Orlando Resort Photo by Universal Orlando Resort via Getty Images

As Dorian approaches, Universal Studios says they are open for business.

The Orlando, Florida, theme park said in a statement that they are closely monitoring the hurricane.

Planning a trip? Universal will continue to update their website, www.universalorlando.com, with any additional updates as they receive them.