Dubai: The UAE Embassy in Washington has issued a fresh warning to citizens ahead of hurricane Dorian, after the state of Florida declared a state of emergency.
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Forecasters say Dorian, which had top sustained winds of 230 km/h Saturday morning, will threaten the Florida peninsula late Monday or early Tuesday.
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As of Saturday, the Category 4 storm was 340 miles (545 kilometers) east of the northwestern Bahamas and 510 miles (820 kilometers) east of West Palm Beach, Florida. According to the National Hurricane Center’s 2 a.m. advisory, maximum sustained winds remained at 140 mph (220 km/h) as the storm continued to move west at 10 mph (17 km/h).
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On its official Twitter account, the UAE Embassy in Washington cautioned citizens to keep a close watch on the powerful category 4 hurricane’s development, and urged Emiratis to contact the UAE mission in an event of an emergency.
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“Attention UAE citizens currently in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina: Please continue to monitor Hurricane Dorian closely by watching your local news and following instructions of local emergency services,” tweeted the embassy.
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“If you need further assistance, call the UAE Consulate General in New York (646) 630-2575 or the UAE Embassy at (202) 431-5530. In case of an emergency, please call 911.”
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The UAE Embassy in Washington confirmed that it had sent a charter plane to evacuate 70 residents from Miami, including a number of GCC nationals and a UAE resident of Indian origin.
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All evacuees safely arrived Washington on Sunday morning and were escorted to their accommodation.
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“The Embassy team received 70 evacuees this evening on a charter plane after departing from Miami ahead of hurricane Dorian scheduled to hit landfall,” it said.
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