MIAMI _ With the U.S. Virgin Islands right in Dorian's path, one infamous place was feeling the worst of the tropical storm on Wednesday: Jeffrey Epstein's "Pedophile Island."
Little Saint James Island, the hideaway where the wealthy hedge fund manager allegedly trafficked girls for sex and entertained politicians and businessmen, was on what's informally known as the "dirty side" of Dorian and could potentially face winds of up to 70 mph as the system passes the Virgin Islands.
The dirty side, or right side of a system when looking at it from above, typically packs the most powerful winds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Conditions around midday weren't anywhere near catastrophic in the Virgin Islands, with the National Weather Service showing east winds around 25 mph and gusts to around 35 mph at the airport in nearby St. Thomas. The forecast was for winds to potentially increase to 60 to 70 mph with gusts to around 90 mph in the afternoon.
Dorian was about 25 miles southeast of St. Croix, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center's 11 a.m. EDT Wednesday advisory. The fourth named storm of the season is on track to pass over or near Puerto Rico's east coast and the Virgin Islands later on Wednesday, possibly as a Category 1 hurricane, and could develop into a Category 3 hurricane by the time it reaches Florida's coast Monday morning.
The dirty side of the storm is worse due to the direction of hurricane winds, which rotate counterclockwise. The strength of the storm on the dirty side is the hurricane's wind speed plus its forward velocity, according to NOAA. The absolute worst spot in a hurricane is on the dirty side closest to the eye of the storm.
Epstein's island was raided by FBI and police earlier this month as the investigation into the hedge fund manager's alleged sex trafficking of girls continued despite his death on Aug. 10. Epstein's case was reexamined after the Miami Herald published the series Perversion of Justice.
Dorian strengthened overnight to near hurricane level and now has maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. It's forecast to bring up to six inches of rain to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Isolated areas could see up to 10 inches of rain and life-threatening flash floods, surf and rip current conditions.
By the time Dorian nears Florida's east coast, it could be a Category 3 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds at 115 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The forecast shows that by Monday landfall it's predicted to drop back to a Category 2.
