Hurricane Dorian Could Be Strongest To Hit Florida In 30 Years, And It May Be Headed Straight For Mar-A-Lago
Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida could be directly in the path of the strongest hurricane to strike Florida in the last three decades.
As forecasters continue to monitor the storm as it moves through the Caribbean and nears making landfall on the mainland United States, there is a chance that it could be the most powerful hurricane to strike there in decades. As Fox News reported, the hurricane shifted away from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on Wednesday, but is projected to be on path for a direct hit in Central Florida.
Glenn Richards, a meteorologist for Fox 35 in Orlando, told Fox News that Hurricane Dorian could be “the strongest hurricane to hit Central Florida in over 30 years,” adding that it could be powerful enough to bring hurricane-force winds across the entire breadth of the state.
As the Tampa Bay Times reported, at least one of the current projected paths would put the hurricane directly on path with Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach. The storm is currently projected to make landfall on Labor Day, with the most likely landing point being about 115 miles north of Palm Beach, but would put Mar-a-Lago within what the forecasters call the “cone of certainty,” meaning a range of potential paths.
Should it follow along the current projected path to strike north of the resort, then Mar-a-Lago could be spared the worst of the rain and wind, the Tampa Bay Times noted. The south side of the hurricane is generally the safest, the report noted.
Donald Trump tweeted on Thursday that he was monitoring the storm and that FEMA and other first responders were well-prepared, but did not mention Mar-a-Lago specifically. The Tampa Bay Times contacted the U.S. Secret Service to inquire about whether there are any special security measures at the club, but the agency did not respond.
Trump has spent a considerable amount of time at Mar-a-Lago, jetting there close to every week when the club is in season. He frequently goes golfing at his company’s course there, and has also used Mar-a-Lago to host world leaders during stays in the United States.
Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort faces potential threat as Hurricane Dorian approaches https://t.co/rJPl7b24kG pic.twitter.com/amuZQ9XVFS
— The Hill (@thehill) August 29, 2019
Hurricane Dorian is now projected to grow into a Cat. 4 storm.
One of the most accurate storm predictions, the European Model expects a track that would strike a full frontal blow on Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.#ThursdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/x7y7HfPVsP
— Grant Stern (@grantstern) August 29, 2019
Mar-a-Lago has been hit by hurricanes before, at times generating controversy for Donald Trump. The Tampa Bay Times noted that the real estate mogul claimed that the resort suffered $17 million in damages during the 2005 hurricane season that included Hurricane Katrina, but the report said there was no evidence to back up the claim.
