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Preparing for worst, many Palm Beach County residents ready for whatever Hurricane Dorian brings

Store shelves empty; residents in Palm Beach County feel prepared for Dorian

BOCA RATON, Fla. – While it appears South Florida will be spared the worst of Hurricane Dorian, Palm Beach County is still expected to be hit with heavy rain and strong wind.

Residents in Palm Beach spent much of Saturday preparing for the storm, buying supplies, boarding up windows and putting up hurricane shutters. 

Over 3,000 calls came into the Palm Beach County Emergency Information Center on Saturday, though the calls died down quite a bit with the storm's forecast slide away from the immediate area. 

"I would say it decreased three-fold," said Nicole Bishop with the Palm Beach County EOC.

Crowds began to thin out at several retail locations visited by Local 10, including a Boynton Beach Walmart, a Target in Delray Beach and a Publix in Boca Raton, where shoppers were surprised they weren't met with long lines. 

"I thought it would be crazy today, but it's not," said Publix shopper Leah Pinder.

It appears that most people were quick to act in preparing for Hurricane Dorian, picking up essential items days in advance. 

"I have everything that I need. I shopped three days ago," said Publix shopper Chiquita Lofton. "Everything went very quickly, as far as the water."

Despite Dorian's projected path shifting, people are still taking proper precautions. 

"Now that it's kind of turning the other way, people are more optimistic now even though we are still on our guard," said shopper Chris Borchardt. "I've been here for 40 years, so I've been through other ones before. Don't want to go through this again."

Further north in Jupiter, it was a similar story as the majority of storm preparations were already completed. 

One issue folks are dealing with is rough surf and choppy waters at the beach. 

Authorities have begun shutting down beaches and telling swimmers to stay out of the water as Hurricane Dorian moves closer to Florida's coast. 

While the wind is certainly one thing to worry about, residents in Jupiter and several other coastal cities are equally concerned with water, storm surge and beach erosion. 


About the Authors
Sanela Sabovic headshot

Sanela Sabovic joined Local 10 News in September 2012 as an assignment editor and associate producer. In August 2015, she became a full-time reporter and fill-in traffic reporter. Sanela holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications with a concentration in radio, television and film from DePaul University.

Andrew Perez headshot

Andrew Perez is a South Florida native who joined the Local 10 News team in May 2014.

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