Storm Dorian closing in on Puerto Rico near hurricane force

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico today faced its first major test of emergency preparedness since the 2017 devastation of Hurricane Maria as Tropical Storm Dorian neared the U.S. territory at near-hurricane force – and forecasters said it could grow to Category 3 status as it nears the U.S. mainland later.

The storm was expected to move near the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, with landslides, widespread flooding and power outages possible in Puerto Rico.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.

Dorian prompted President Donald Trump to declare an emergency Tuesday night and order federal assistance for local authorities.

"It's possible it could turn into a hurricane before it reaches Puerto Rico," said Roberto García, director of U.S. National Weather Service San Juan, during a news conference today.

He said, however, the forecast could keep changing, adding that late shifts occur with storms such as Dorian that do not have a well-defined center.

"This is not written in stone. It could change in the next minutes, hours," he said.

At 11 a.m. today, Dorian was located about 25 miles southeast of St Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said it had strengthened slightly, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph while moving northwest at 13 mph.

The Hurricane Center said the storm could grow into a dangerous Category 3 storm as it pushes northwest in the general direction of Florida.

The storm was expected to dump 4 to 6 inches of rain with isolated amounts of 8 inches.