Donald Trump and his campaign may be bracing for the impact Hurricane Matthew could have on the presidential race, as it is expected to hit the Florida coast just two days before the second presidential debate.
But Trump is also bracing for the storm’s more immediate impact on two of his properties, which lie in the Category 4 hurricane’s projected path.
Trump’s prized Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach and his golf club in Jupiter could both face the storm’s fury as it makes its expected landfall in Florida on Friday.
Palm Beach could be one of the first locations in Florida to be hit by the storm and the town has already ordered a mandatory evacuation.
Trump’s luxurious 20-acre Mar-a-Lago estate — which is also his primary residence in Florida — has previously weathered hurricanes, but the Category 4 hurricane could be a test for the property.
A Trump aide told CNN on Thursday, “Mr. Trump spoke to his employees yesterday to ensure they were being safe and following instructions from local officials. The club is not open for the season yet.”
A Category 2 storm in 2004, Hurricane Frances, already wrecked the waterfront property’s landscaping and caused some flooding, Trump told the Palm Beach Post after the storm hit.
“We lost a lot of the vegetation that gave Mar-a-Lago its character,” Trump told the newspaper. “I wasn’t there for the storm, but I’ve been told by my people there that it re-landscaped the place. There was a little flooding in some of the basements, too.”
In addition to the 145 mph winds, Matthew is also expected to cause seas to surge several feet, causing coastal flooding.