In brief: Hurricane Dorian is intensifying as it inches closer to what is increasingly looking like a direct strike with Florida. Experts forecast Dorian could be a category four storm by the time it makes landfall - likely on Labor Day - and when it does finally hit, it'll present a unique issue.

Like many major metropolitan areas across the country, top destinations including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa are littered with rentable electric scooters from companies such as Bird, Lime, Bolt, Jump, Spin and Lyft. With a major storm brewing, these dockless scooters could potentially become deadly flying projectiles in just a few days and city officials aren't taking any chances.


As Bloomberg highlights, the city of Miami has ordered all scooter rental services to decommission their rides by noon on Friday. Tampa hasn't yet issued a removal request but if (or when) it does, companies will have 12 hours to comply. A spokesperson for the city told The Verge that vendors appear prepared for that requirement should it come to fruition.

A spokesperson for Lime said it had around 1,500 scooters on the streets of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa. The company is collecting them and putting them in storage until the storm passes. Lime also decommissioned its fleet when Hurricane Irma struck two years ago.

Jump said it will meet Miami's deadline and could remove scooters from Tampa should the storm head that way. Bird is monitoring the storm and may also remove scooters from operation. Spin, Bolt and Lyft didn't reply to The Verge's request for comment.

Masthead credit: Bird scooters by Arne Beruldsen