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(CNN) - Hurricane Dorian has plenty of warm water and time ahead, and is expected to use both to become an important cyclone with a good chance of hitting the Atlantic coast of Florida for Labor Day.
Dorian, who had swept the British and United States Virgin Islands and hit Puerto Rico with rain on Wednesday, was moving northwest in the Atlantic on Thursday morning with sustained winds of up to 85 miles per hour (136.7 kilometers per hour).
By Friday, it should strengthen until it becomes a powerful category 3 storm, hit northern Bahamas on Sunday and probably crash somewhere along the Florida or Georgia coast on Monday with sustained winds around 125 mph (201 kilometers per hour). ).
LOOK: Dominican Republic got rid of Dorian's scourge but there is still alert for rain and heavy waves
Because there are four days left, the range of possible arrival points is huge, from the Florida Keys to southeast Georgia.
"He has a lot of time in very warm water (to strengthen himself)," CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said. "There are not many obstacles, there is not much dry air and you have a lot of time to gain strength."
Affected areas in the United States will feel winds of tropical storm force - at least 39 mph (62.7 kilometers per hour) - on Sunday. And the center could stop before bumping into the earth, potentially whipping cities with "centimeters and centimeters of (rain) per hour," Myers said.
"People must be ready before Sunday," Ken Graham, director of the national hurricane center, said on Thursday at CNN.
Florida declares emergency in 26 counties
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 26 counties on Wednesday and urged all residents on the coast to prepare for the storm.
"It is important that Floridians on the east coast closely monitor this storm," said DeSantis. "Every Florida resident must have seven-day supplies, including food, water and medications, and must have a disaster plan."
Virgin Islands, the most beaten
Dorian has cleared the Caribbean Sea, but not before hitting the British and American Virgin Islands, first as a tropical storm and then as a category 1 hurricane on Wednesday.
Local authorities declared a state of emergency when trees and power lines fell on the islands.
And although the storm was strong, the response was quick. Restoration processes began around 4 pm local time in the districts of St. Thomas and St. John, and about 25,000 power outages in St. Croix were restored around 7 pm local time on Wednesday, he told CNN the director of Communications of the Authority of Water and Energy of the Virgin Islands, Jean Greaux.
“Within an hour of its approval, the Virgin Islands Water and Energy Authority mobilized the crews to carry out a damage assessment. Immediately we begin the restoration of the service. Crews are now scattered to address isolated cuts, ”said Greaux.
Hurricane warnings have been discontinued for the island, and on Wednesday the winds dropped to less than 25 mph (40 kilometers per hour) and the rain dispersed as the storm recedes, CNN meteorologist Rob Shackelford said.
Puerto Rico avoided the expected damage
Puerto Rico, still recovering from Hurricane Maria in 2017, expected the storm to exacerbate existing infrastructure damage.
The governor of Puerto Rico, Wanda Vázquez Garced, declared a state of emergency for the island on Monday and urged people to prepare for the storm. Schools throughout Puerto Rico closed on Wednesday.
"Fortunately, I've been preparing since May," said Krystle Rivera, whose family has been storing water, canned food and gas in anticipation of hurricane season.
A man died after falling from the roof of his house while cleaning a drain in preparation for the storm, said Puerto Rico Public Security Secretary Elmer Roman.
Outside of that, Dorian did not have such a devastating impact on the island as feared.
CNN Omar Jimenez reported from Puerto Rico. Madeline Holcombe and Jason Hanna wrote from Atlanta. Emanuella Grinberg, Paul P. Murphy, Meg Wagner, Michelle Krupa, Melissa Alonso and Christina Maxouris contributed to this report.
Hurricane Dorian
