[Wolf Blitzer, Cnn:] ... against climate change. To our viewers, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. Erin Burnett OUTFRONT starts right now.
[Jim Sciutto, Cnn:] OUTFRONT next, bracing for impact. Hurricane Dorian on track to become a category four storm heading straight for Florida, residents now stockpiling food and fuel. New details on the storm's path. Plus, the former vice president tells an emotional war story on the campaign trail, but does it add up? And Trump cozies up to Putin again. The President considering a move that would put him in Russia's good graces. Let's go out front. I want to go straight now to Reed Timmer. He's an AccuWeather network extreme meteorologist. He's been following all the storm news this hour. Reed, as you watch this today, tell us what you're seeing as the storm moves forward.
[Reed Timmer, Accuweather Network Extreme Meteorologist:] Well, today in Cocoa Beach, Florida is actually a beautiful beach day today. Some thunderstorms initiated on a sea breeze front just to the east of Cocoa Beach, but that happens every day usually this time of year during the summer. But Hurricane Dorian is still well off to the southwest. Maximum sustained winds still at 85 miles an hour, that pressure is down to 986 millibars and that likely is the beginning signs of an intensification process. Through tonight, through this weekend, it is moving Northwest at 13 miles an hour and it's expected to continue that Northwest movement through tomorrow. But I do expect another nice day out here in Cocoa Beach, Florida. But one thing that I am noticing that's different are the gas stations. There are huge lines that all of the gas stations across this area, including Cape Canaveral and inland all the way to Orlando. In fact, some of the gas stations were even out of gas already today. They did expect the delivery of gasoline at about 5:00 pm today, that already happened. But it already shows you that people are starting preparations very early which is a good thing, because we do expect this hurricane to intensify potentially to a category four as it approaches the East Coast of Florida. And also some bad news is that it looks like this hurricane is going to be putting on the brake as it approaches and that's usually a worst case scenario, because those dangerous conditions can batter the coastline for days. But there still is quite a bit of uncertainty in that forecast track. Time will tell here over the next few days if it's going to recurve a little bit to the north or if it is going to continue that westward turn and then head across the heart of the Florida peninsula.
[Sciutto:] Yes. Our meteorologist have talked about that very possibility, sitting off the coast there. Tell us the difference now that it's been upgraded to a category four storm as it head towards the coast. What kind of damage could it wreak across the state?
[Timmer:] Well, right now it is a category one storm, but it is expected to reach category four status as it approaches the northwestern Bahamas and eventually possibly the eastern coast of Florida. And if you have a storm that's a major hurricane that's also putting on the brakes. It looks like that's going to happen on Monday. This area will get hammered by a devastating storm surge that will last for multiple title cycles. Also, the very heavy rainfall is something that is a little bit overlooked when these large hurricanes approach. But when stall out, those prolific rainfall rates just hammer the area and you also have the storm surge flooding, I just mentioned and those winds are gusting over 150 miles an hour with a category four storm just battering the coastline here across the Florida peninsula. If that scenario does unfold, it would be an absolute devastation here across basically the entire peninsula.
[Sciutto:] Yes and just in time for, of course, the holiday weekend. Thanks very much, Reed. We know you're going to stay on top of it. This is Dorian from the International Space Station. It is expected to become a category four storm over the next several days. That would make it the strongest hurricane to hit Florida's East Coast since Andrew in 1992 and right now there is nothing in its way but the warm waters. Hurricanes, of course, feed on those warm waters, makes them stronger, more powerful. Tom Sater is out front live in the Weather Center. So Tom, if Dorian hits Florida on the course that it is, third major hurricane it has been these years to hit the peninsula there. Tell us what we're learning.
[Tom Sater, Cnn Meteorologist And Weather Anchor:] Yes. I mean we just had Michael last year and Irma the year before. I expect this to be at category two late tonight or overnight. It's still small in size, Jim, but it should grow a little bit larger obviously in days, notice the trailing band. Puerto Rico is getting a lot heavier rain today with thunderstorms than they did yesterday when the center was a lot closer. As we take it though in the future, what has changed for our viewers from yesterday, the National Hurricane Center making landfall at category three, they've increased that to a category four. That's not a surprise, because yesterday we had it at category three well out into the waters. So that's plenty of time for to really surge in those warmer waters that are going to go from the mid 80s to the upper 80s. But the biggest thing here and Reed mention it, this is a cone of uncertainty and it's titled that for reason. The European model put on the brakes like he mentioned and that means more than just sitting off the coast and churning and churning up the coast, that's terrible. But it also will sit there for a while and give the surrounding environment time to decide where it wants to take it. It's anybody's guess. One thing is for sure, the last several days the models have been jumping all over the place and they will continue to do that. This is what we're looking at now, in red is the GFS, that's the U.S. model. We like to compare these two, there are many more. And, of course, the yellow is the European. Both of these today drop significantly from the north down to the south, more of a drop for the European model and historically this is a pretty good model that we like to rely upon. We're going to see, I know this may be hard to see but there's a blue dot and we put both models on top of each other and let's see what they do. Right now they're in agreement. You can't see the U.S. model, it's just the European. We go forward. Now, this is now Monday morning. Instead of a late Sunday night, it's still offshore. But look at the European, it's down toward Nassau in Bahamas when the U.S. model is still offshore as well. So again, this is uncertain as far as even when the timing may occur. The U.S. takes it to the south, well south. You can see we're around West Palm here and this is Tuesday overnight. So I know there are so many people just want to know what's going to happen in my community right now, we can't really tell you. American model, south of Fort Pierce, there's about West Palm and then you come over the European and you're still down in Nassau, Bahamas. So it could go to the keys and into the gulf. This could slide up to the north and still get to Georgia or the Carolinas. Even the American model, Jim, from Wednesday night run headed up south of Jacksonville and then you look at tonight's and go down to the south, so this is up in the air. Anybody who tells you that they know exactly where this is going to make landfall, they'll sell you oceanfront property in Arizona. Do not buy it right now. But because that system may stall off the coast, this ball game, Jim, could be played in anyone's backyard. The steering currents are still undecided here. We know there will be though tropical storm force winds moving in toward Florida and this will be late Saturday and toward Saturday night and Sunday morning, obviously. So there's still a lot of preparation that can be done. Instead of one good day, we may be able to squeeze two to finish those jobs up.
[Sciutto:] Well, one thing they have in common, it seems that Florida is in their sights. Tom Sater, we know you're going to stay on top of it.
[Sater:] Yes.
[Sciutto:] These things can change in the final hours and days.
[Sater:] Yes.
[Sciutto:] Out front now, the Mayor of Fort Pierce, Florida, Linda Hudson. Mayor, you've been listening to these reports. I know you're watching very closely to the storm's path. Fort Pierce though on the current path could take a direct hit. Tell us what your biggest fear is right now.
[Linda Hudson, Mayor Of Fort Pierce:] Well, we need to take this storm seriously as we always do, but we have lots of preparations in place. Our city is prepared and our county is getting prepared. The biggest fear probably would be a kind of a repeat from 2004 when this storm, one of those storms, Frances or Jeanne hovered around our area and went through to title cycles. So that would be a big concern, but we can weather this storm. We're very experienced in hurricanes and we're ready for it and we will be ready for it.
[Sciutto:] Well, that's a good point. Like does the storm hit when the tide is high, of course, that leads to storm surge, that means flooding.
[Hudson:] Right.
[Sciutto:] The entire state currently under a state of emergency. At what point will you urge residents to start evacuating? I know it's early, but how long before the storm hits the coast do you start to make those recommendations?
[Hudson:] Well, our residents are already paying attention and if they're going to evacuate, they've already started. And probably tomorrow will be a big push to leave the area and they make their own decisions, but they're following the weather reports and I have a feeling the biggest push will be tomorrow and Saturday.
[Sciutto:] OK.
[Hudson:] The people that will be leaving will be leaving then.
[Sciutto:] All right. Well, all I could say to folks watching now is when you get those warnings, listen to them. Oftentimes people don't listen and, of course, they pay the consequences. A category four storm, this is significant, sustained winds of 130 miles per hour. What could that mean for your city?
[Hudson:] Well, we're an older city by Florida standards. We were incorporated in 1901. We have a lot of older housing stock. But by the same token, our houses have withstood a lot of hurricanes and we've been through quite a few recently as you said earlier. So the damage could be foliage and trees down and yards ruined and maybe roofs blown off, but a lot of the storms recently has encouraged us to improve our housing stock. So I'm hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.
[Sciutto:] Listen, we wish you the best we know you have a lot on your plate in these coming days. Mayor Linda Hudson, best to you and your community. Out front next Trump changes his tune after attacking Puerto Rico. The President now has this to say about those now in the storm's path in Florida.
[Donald Trump, President Of The United States:] We're very ready also in Florida, and we have a great governor there. He's incredible, doing an incredible job.
[Sciutto:] Of course, the governor is Republican there. Plus, Vice President Joe Biden telling supporters an emotional war story.
[Joe Biden, Former United States Vice President, Presidential Candidate:] This guy climbed down the ravine, carried this guy up on his back under fire and the general wanted me to pin a Silver Star on him.
[Sciutto:] Well, there reported are some problems with what he's been saying. And it's a billion dollar business that the 2020 candidates want to abolish. And tonight CNN investigates this controversial industry.