States of emergencies have been declared in Georgia and the Carolinas as fears rise that Hurricane Dorian could make landfall there wreaking havoc across the region - while Florida braces itself to skirt the eye of the 'extremely dangerous' Category 4 storm.

Weather agencies warn the storm could become a Category 5 storm by Labor Day, as the fearsome hurricane gains new muscle that will threaten Florida's peninsula with winds of up to 145 mph by late Monday or early Tuesday.

But the National Hurricane Center in Miami cautioned that its meteorologists remain uncertain whether Dorian would make a devastating direct strike on the state's east coast or inflict a glancing blow, as the consensus path now has the storm headed for landfall near the South Carolina and Georgia border, potentially just grazing Florida.

On Saturday, the shutters were up at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.

'Excellent news for Florida this Saturday morning. The official forecast from NHC and the latest model forecasts are pointing toward an offshore Florida track as dangerous Dorian approaches,' said WOFL-Fox 35 meteorologist Jayme King.