Trump Holds Up Doctored Hurricane Map, Meteorologists Cringe

As Hurricane Dorian bore down on the Atlantic coast on Wednesday (Sept. 4), meteorologists suddenly found themselves facing an unexpected hurricane hazard: a president with a Sharpie pen.

In a White House briefing, President Donald Trump held up a hurricane advisory map from Thursday (Aug. 29) showing Dorian's five-day " cone of uncertainty " potentially passing over Florida. At the end of the cone was a addendum: a loop drawn with a black Sharpie covering Alabama. The doctored map was in defense of a tweet the president had made on Sunday (Sept. 1) warning that Alabama was in harm's way.

"In addition to Florida - South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, will most likely be hit (much) harder than anticipated. Looking like one of the largest hurricanes ever. Already category 5. BE CAREFUL! GOD BLESS EVERYONE!" the president t weeted on Sunday.

Related: Photos: Hurricane Dorian Rages in Pics from Space

By Sunday, though, the forecasts had improved, and meteorologists were already predicting that Dorian would veer north, brushing along the Florida coast before heading toward the Carolinas — no chance of it hitting Alabama. The National Hurricane Center had released a map, Hurricane Dorian Advisory #032A , to this effect before the president's tweet. (The map shown in the Sept. 4 Oval Office briefing was Advisory #21.)

The president's doubling down on his error sparked surprise, hilarity and some outrage across Weather and Science Twitter. Here's a roundup of reactions:

The President of the United States altered a National Hurricane Center map with a sharpie to falsely extend the official forecast toward Alabama so he didn't have to admit he was wrong in a tweet. https://t.co/i0CJcYV4yq pic.twitter.com/pR57IL6WfT September 4, 2019

Isn't altering the official forecast map illegal? https://t.co/rQhgou3fJ4 pic.twitter.com/aKe6nmKKfy September 4, 2019

Can't let this go unnoticed. @realDonaldTrump displayed a doctored version of the @NHC_Atlantic forecast for #Dorian. The black extension past Florida did not exist; that's not how forecast cones are drawn. pic.twitter.com/GqHikOBYU6 September 4, 2019

We have found a solution to the #ClimateCrisis! #sharpiegate pic.twitter.com/5ZeS6Pux0B September 5, 2019

Praying for Ohio. #sharpiegate #dorianhurricane pic.twitter.com/W9pHOZbGwa September 4, 2019

BRB— redoing messed up snowfall maps in Colorado