PH Embassy warns Filipinos in South to prepare for Hurricane Dorian

This GOES-16 satellite image taken Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019, at 17:00 UTC and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shows Hurricane Dorian, right, churning over the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricane Dorian struck the northern Bahamas on Sunday as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, its 185 mph winds ripping off roofs and tearing down power lines as hundreds hunkered in schools, churches and other shelters. (NOAA via AP)

WASHINGTON — The Philippine Embassy has extended its advisory for Hurricane Dorian to other nearby states — Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, instructing Filipinos in these areas to prepare and heed the warning of local officials.

An estimated 231,000 individuals of Filipino origin are in the Bahamas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

The advisory is based it on the weather models that Dorian may pass and make landfall in Georgia or South Carolina on Thursday morning, as a weaker Category 2 storm, before moving into North Carolina.

Dorian is made landfall in the Bahamas on Sunday and is expected in Florida on Tuesday.

According to a tweet by Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis, tropical storm force winds have already hit the Abaco islands.

As of this writing, the hurricane has been upgraded to Category 5 by the National Hurricane Center. The storm now packs sustained 160 miles per hour winds.

The Philippine Embassy reiterated its earlier advisory to Filipino communities along the path of Hurricane Dorian to monitor the movement of the storm, undertake all necessary preparations, and heed the warnings of local officials.

“The Philippine Embassy will continue to monitor developments and coordinate with the Filipino and Filipino-American communities in these areas.”