Accompanied by the Secret Service, President Donald Trump will spend the weekend at Camp David instead of taking a planned trip to Poland in order to deal with an expected natural disaster, One America News reported. Hurricane Dorian is expected to make landfall on either on the east coast of Florida or South Carolina sometime Tuesday.
Trump announced to reporters that Vice President Mike Pence will go to Poland instead, saying that he wants to be sure federal resources are ready when Dorian hits. He said that he spoke to Polish President Andrzej Duda about visiting another time.
“It’s something very important for me to be here — this storm looks like it could be a very, very big one indeed and Mike [Pence] will be going,” Trump said. “Our highest priority is the safety and security of the people in the path of the hurricane.”
At Camp David, Trump has been receiving hourly updates on the hurricane situation. “He has someone traveling with him to specifically brief him on an hourly basis,” press secretary Stephanie Grisham told CNN.
Dorian Slows, Shifts
The latest models showed Dorian slowing down and shifting a bit more northward. It is expected to hit the Bahamas directly, then continue to strengthen to a category 3 or 4 by the time it makes landfall in Florida or South Carolina.
Because of the slowdown, flooding is expected to be worse with Dorian. Some forecasts have called for 16 or more inches of rain from the storm in Florida and as much as 25 inches in parts of the Bahamas. Gas stations in Florida are said to already be running out of gas, with Florida Highway Patrol planning to escort oil tanker trucks into the state to supply the needs there.
Evacuations orders have begun for some areas of Brevard County like low-lying areas and residents with special needs. The state has stocked up on meals and bottled water to distribute to those who stay behind.
FEMA Says It’s Ready
Although FEMA still has only an acting director and awaits Senate confirmation before President Donald Trump’s nominee Jeffrey Byard can take the helm, it has confirmed readiness for the storm.
Supplies and resources have been moved into place close to where the storm is expected to hit, and teams are ready to respond in real-time. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he is confident in FEMA’s readiness and has issued a state of emergency in the entire state ahead of the storm.
Concerns have been expressed that Trump’s decision to use $155 million from FEMA’s budget toward Immigration and Customs Enforcement might weaken the agency’s ability to render aid, but Trump has said that isn’t true.
Dorian missed a direct hit on Puerto Rico, which led Trump to tweet that he hoped people would thank FEMA for their good work this time, unlike what happened in Puerto Rico with Hurricane Maria.
We are tracking closely tropical storm Dorian as it heads, as usual, to Puerto Rico. FEMA and all others are ready, and will do a great job. When they do, let them know it, and give them a big Thank You – Not like last time. That includes from the incompetent Mayor of San Juan!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 28, 2019
Trump may have to get a dig in after dealing with the abuse from liberal Puerto Rican officials who only wanted to make him look bad, but it’s the people who will be in the path of the storm that he is most concerned about now.
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