Hurricane Dorian: President Donald Trump Reacts to Bahamas Devastation Ahead of US Landfall

President Donald Trump shared a message on Twitter in regards to Hurricane Dorian as it surges through the Bahamas. The storm is set to hit American soil late Monday evening as Florida and the Carolinas brace for impact this week.

“Pray for the people in the Bahamas. Being hit like never before, Category 5. Almost 200 m.p.h. winds,” he tweeted.

Prior to that post, he gave a briefing with officials in Washington, DC at FEMA’s headquarters. During his message, he admitted that he never heard of a storm of this magnitude before, according to CNN. Meanwhile, this would be the fourth Category 5 storm since he was elected into the position.

“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 told officials.

He continued, “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.”

The Bahamas suffered a great deal of damage as Dorian slowly battered the country. Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis has reported that at least five people have been lost in the storm, according to the Associated Press. He also noted that the island nation is “in the midst of a historic tragedy.”

The storm registers as the second strongest to ever make landfall in the Bahamas, according to The Washington Post. The 185 mph recorded winds tied the record along with a Labor Day hurricane back in 1935 for highest wind speeds in the Atlantic Ocean.

Florida is bracing for impact next as Dorian begins its slow ascent up the eastern coast. Georgia and the Carolinas will also feel its impact as the week progresses, but to what extent remains unknown.

Governor Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency for Florida over the weekend. Three other states, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, followed suit. Even Walt Disney World, despite being inland, is preparing for the potential of heavy rain and dangerous winds after announcing the early closures of its parks on Tuesday.