When President Donald Trump updated the US public on Wednesday about Hurricane Dorian, he used a map that at a glance looked identical to one released by forecasters last week.<\/strong><\/p>\n But observers spotted a difference.<\/p>\n A “cone” showing the storm’s probable path appeared to have been extended with a felt-tip pen to include part of the state of Alabama, analysts said.<\/p>\n The president has insisted in recent days Alabama was at risk, though forecasters said that was not correct.<\/p>\n In an Oval Office briefing<\/a>, Mr Trump pointed to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) forecast map from 29 August.<\/p>\n The chart had a black loop marked around Alabama that was not on the original version from last week.<\/p>\n Mr Trump told reporters that Dorian “would have affected a lot of other states”.<\/p>\n Later on Wednesday at a White House event, when asked about the map discrepancy, Mr Trump offered no explanation. “I don’t know,” he said.<\/p>\n “I know Alabama was in the original forecast, they thought it would get a piece of it,” Mr Trump said.<\/p>\n NOAA directed queries to the White House press office, which did not immediately respond.<\/p>\n In its latest Dorian advisory on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a storm surge warning covering the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.<\/p>\n The hurricane hit the Bahamas with winds equalling the highest-ever recorded at landfall, before moving north late on Tuesday. At least 20 people were killed on the archipelago.<\/p>\n It began on Sunday morning when Mr Trump tweeted: “In addition to Florida – South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, will most likely be hit (much) harder than anticipated.”<\/p>\n Twenty minutes later, the National Weather Service tweeted from Birmingham, Alabama, contradicting the president.<\/p>\n But Mr Trump soon afterwards on Sunday told reporters at the White House: “Alabama is going to get a piece of it, it looks like.”<\/p>\n About an hour later, he said at a Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) briefing that the hurricane “may get a little piece of a great place: It’s called Alabama”.<\/p>\n The same day, NOAA spokesman Christopher Vaccaro made clear in an email to reporters: “The current forecast path of Dorian does not include Alabama.”<\/p>\n On Monday, media organisations said Mr Trump was incorrect about Alabama.<\/p>\n He seized on remarks by ABC News’ White House correspondent Jon Karl, who noted the president had “misstated the storm’s possible trajectory”.<\/p>\n Mr Trump tweeted on Monday: “Such a phony hurricane report by lightweight reporter @jonkarl of @ABCWorldNews.<\/p>\n “I suggested yesterday at FEMA that, along with Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, even Alabama could possibly come into play, which WAS true.”<\/p>\n According to AP news agency, forecasts from last Friday indicated that a small strip of Alabama might be affected by Dorian.<\/p>\n However, by Saturday morning meteorologists were no longer predicting the southern state would be in the hurricane’s path.<\/p>\n It was 24 hours later that Mr Trump began asserting that Alabama was at risk from Dorian.<\/p>\n On Wednesday evening, Mr Trump cited the original forecasts to argue that he was right all along.<\/p>\n Some analysts noted that it is illegal to alter official weather maps.<\/p>\n According to Cornell Law School, US law says\u00a0anyone who “knowingly issues or publishes any counterfeit weather forecast” can face up to 90 days in prison<\/a>.<\/p>\nWhat did President Trump say on Wednesday?<\/h2>\n
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![\"Dorian\"](\"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/108619343_hi056250355.jpg\")
NOAA – <\/span><\/span>The original National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration map did not include a black line around Alabama<\/h5>\nWhat did the president say in recent days about Alabama?<\/h2>\n
<\/span><\/figure>\nAerials show scale of destruction in the Bahamas caused by Hurricane Dorian<\/h5>\n<\/figure>\n
\nImage Copyright @realDonaldTrump<\/span>@REALDONALDTRUMP – <\/span><\/span><\/a>Report<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><\/figure>\nResidents in the Bahamas say ‘it’s total devastation’<\/h5>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a>GETTY IMAGES – The black loop appeared to have been added to include Alabama in the storm’s projected path<\/p><\/div>\n
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