As President Trump gave an update Wednesday on the status of Hurricane Dorian, social media sleuths and weather experts honed in on one detail: the president held up a poster of a Dorian forecast from last week that appeared to show an added black cone to represent that Alabama was in the storm’s path.

The black line was distinct from the white outline of the rest of the path.

According to The Washington Post, when asked about the hurricane forecast chart during a White House event on opioids Wednesday afternoon, Trump said his briefings included a “95 percent chance probability” that Alabama would be hit. When asked whether the chart had been drawn on, Trump said: “I don’t know, I don’t know.”

The black outlined area on this very outdated @NHC_Atlantic #Dorian graphic that Trump just used in his update was added and not a part of the official forecast. @WhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/XMQmepPyj6 — Kait Parker (@WeatherKait) September 4, 2019

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 — Dennis Mersereau (@wxdam) September 4, 2019

Some experts suggested that the White House amended the forecast to include Alabama to validate the president’s false claim that the Yellowhammer State was in Dorian’s path.

Dorian “may get a little piece of a great place: it’s called Alabama,” Trump said over Labor Day weekend. “And Alabama could even be in for at least some very strong winds and something more than that, it could be. It’s the size of — the storm that we’re talking about. So, for Alabama, just please be careful also.”

After Trump showed the National Hurricane Center map that appeared to be altered, a reporter asked in a separate event what happened.



Reporter: "That map...almost looked like it had a sharpie..."

Trump: "I don't know, I don't know." — Steve Kopack (@SteveKopack) September 4, 2019

But no official forecasts had Alabama in Dorian’s sights.

There may be another explanation for the curious black line.

Meteorologist Ryan Maue said the National Hurricane Center makes internal forecasts not for public consumption that could have included Alabama.

The NHC creates an internal 7-day forecast -- not for public consumption -- but will in future years.



The huge 7-day cone would definitely be over Alabama for Hurricane #Dorian even though there was ~0% chance of a direct landfall.



This will lead to further confusion. — Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) September 4, 2019

The NHC could not immediately be reached to determine whether Trump’s update was an internal forecast.