US
East Coast On Alert As Tropical Storm Florence Poised To Strengthen
8
September, 2018
The
5 am National
Hurricane Center (NHC)
Report has indicated that the risk for a direct impact from Tropical
Storm Florence has increased, although exactly where on the East
Coast remains uncertain. Residents of the East Coast should be on
heightened alert for the potentially dangerous storm, which is
expected to become a major hurricane again in the next 12 to 24 hours
as it approaches the US.
Still
almost 1,500 miles from North Carolina's Outer Banks, the tropical
storm remains 5 to 7 days from a direct US landfall, according to the
NHC. As of Saturday morning, Florence had winds of 65 mph and was
moving to the west at 9 mph. The center of the storm was about 840
miles southeast of Bermuda.
The
latest NHC forecast shows Florence approaching the US East Coast as a
powerful Category 4 hurricane with 145 mph winds early next week.
Heavy
rain could cause catastrophic flooding well inland from where the
storm makes landfall, which is possible anywhere from Florida to New
England, AccuWeather said.
The
path of Florence is likely to remain steady for the next several
days, but a deviation in the storm's trajectory could develop as it
approaches the Eastern Seaboard.
"An
area of high pressure over the central Atlantic will bridge westward
and join with an existing high pressure near the U.S. East coast over
the next several days," said AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan
Kottlowski.
"This
setup will guide Florence on a west to northwesterly course into next
week," Kottlowski said.
If
the high-pressure area weakens next week, then Florence could curve
northward then northeastward out to sea with impacts in the US
limited.
AccuWeather: Track Scenario 1
However,
Kottlowski said if the high-pressure remains strong, then the storm
would make landfall somewhere between the Carolinas to southern New
England sometime during Wednesday or Thursday of next week.
AccuWeather:
Track Scenario 2
The
Weather Channel said that "all interests along the U.S. East
Coast from Florida to New England should monitor closely the forecast
of Florence. If you live in a hurricane-prone location, make sure you
have a preparedness plan in place now, before any watches or warnings
are issued."
The
hurricane center warned that "swells generated by Florence are
affecting Bermuda and will reach portions of the U.S. East Coast over
the weekend. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf
and rip current conditions."
If
you have not been paying attention, the tropics are extremely busy
right now. There could be as many as three named storms in the next
several days.
The
pipeline is full! Hurricane Florence is likely next week, then Helene
and Isaac have moved into the tropical Atlantic, and a couple more
tropical waves in Africa are moving west.
While
it is certainly not time to press the panic button — by the end of
the weekend, meteorologists will have a better grasp of where
Florence is headed. As of right now, models show the East Coast could
get slammed.
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