Trump Tweets About Hurricane Dorian Hitting Alabama — and National Weather Services Issue Correction
The National Weather Services wants to reassure everyone that Alabama will not see any impact from Hurricane Dorian after President Donald Trump mistakenly tweeted that the state was in the storm’s path.
“In addition to Florida – South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, will most likely be hit (much) harder than anticipated,” the president tweeted on Sunday. “Looking like one of the largest hurricanes ever. Already category 5. BE CAREFUL! GOD BLESS EVERYONE!”
Shortly after Trump’s warning, the Birmingham branch of the NWS tweeted out their own statement, confirming that Hurricane Dorian was “too far east” to make any landfall in Alabama.
RELATED: Hurricane Dorian Could Hit Florida as ‘Life-Threatening’ Category 4 Storm, Experts Warn
“Alabama will NOT see any impacts from #Dorian. We repeat, no impacts from Hurricane #Dorian will be felt across Alabama. The system will remain too far east,” the NWS Birmingham tweeted.
Hurricane Dorian grew to a catastrophic category 5 hurricane over the weekend after the NWS first reported it would potentially reach a category 4 status. Dorian made its first landfall in the Bahamas midday Sunday, hitting Abaco with winds of 185 mph, making it the second strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, Fox News reported.
Ahead of its landfall, the NWS said the storm could bring “a triple-threat of dangers” including a “life-threatening storm surge,” heavy rains and “devastating hurricane-force winds.”
As Dorian continues its path towards Florida and other states on the eastern U.S. coast, many have shared videos of the devastation from Dorian in the Bahamas.
On Sunday, while at a briefing with officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s headquarters in Washington, DC., Trump revealed that he’s “not sure that (he’s) ever even heard of a Category 5” hurricane.
However, three category 5 hurricanes have threatened the U.S. since he took office, according to CNN.
“We don’t even know what’s coming at us. All we know is it’s possibly the biggest. I have — I’m not sure that I’ve ever even heard of a Category 5. I knew it existed. And I’ve seen some Category 4’s — you don’t even see them that much,” Trump said.
“But a Category 5 is something that — I don’t know that I’ve ever even heard the term other than I know it’s there. That’s the ultimate, and that’s what we have, unfortunately,” he added.
Dorian will be the fourth category 5 storm since Trump became president if it hits parts of the U.S.
Since his time in office, Hurricane Irma became one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded and hit at least nine U.S. states in Sept. 2017. Later that month, Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico. Then in Oct. 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle.