(CNN) President Donald Trump announced Thursday afternoon that he is canceling his trip to Poland to deal with Hurricane Dorian, sending Vice President Mike Pence in his place.

"To ensure that all resources of the federal government are focused on the arriving storm, I have decided to send our Vice President Mike Pence to Poland this weekend in my place," Trump said. "It's something very important for me to be here. This storm looks like it could be a very, very big one indeed."

Trump called Polish officials shortly before coming out to the Rose Garden to announce he would no longer be traveling there this weekend, because he needed to monitor the hurricane, a White House official said.

Because it's four days out, the range of potential landfall spots is vast -- from the Florida Keys to southeast Georgia. And the center may pause at sea shortly before landfall -- leaving its outer bands to drench much of Florida with lots of rain.

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