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Tag: storm surge

  • Hurricane Melissa leaves 25 dead in Haiti, causes widespread damage in Jamaica and Cuba

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    Hurricane Melissa brought dangerous flooding and storm surge to Cuba on Wednesday after leaving Jamaica with widespread power outages and causing flooding that killed 25 people in Haiti, officials say.Jean Bertrand Subrème, mayor of the southern Haitian coastal town of Petit-Goâve, told The Associated Press that 25 people died after La Digue river burst its banks and flooded nearby homes.Dozens of homes collapsed and people were still trapped under rubble as of Wednesday morning, he said.“I am overwhelmed by the situation,” he said as he pleaded with the government to help rescue victims.Only one official from Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency was in the area, with residents struggling to evacuate amid heavy floodwaters unleashed by Hurricane Melissa in recent days.At least one death was reported in Jamaica, where Melissa roared ashore Tuesday with top sustained winds of 185 mph, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. A tree fell on a baby in the island nation’s west, state minister Abka Fitz-Henley told local radio station Nationwide News Network, adding that most destruction was concentrated in the southwest and northwest.“That was hell. All night long, it was terrible,” said Reinaldo Charon in Santiago de Cuba. The 52-year-old was one of the few people venturing out Wednesday, covered by a plastic sheet in the intermittent rain.Parts of Granma province, especially the municipal capital, Jiguaní, were underwater, said Gov. Yanetsy Terry Gutiérrez. More than 15 inches of rain was reported in Jiguaní’s settlement of Charco Redondo.Officials reported collapsed houses, blocked mountain roads and roofs blown off. Authorities said about 735,000 people remained in shelters in eastern Cuba. Melissa had top sustained winds of 100 mph, a Category 2 storm, and was moving northeast at 14 mph according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. The hurricane was centered about 150 miles south of the central Bahamas.Melissa was forecast to continue weakening as it crossed Cuba but remain strong as it moves across the southeastern or central Bahamas later Wednesday. It was expected to make its way late Thursday near or to the west of Bermuda. Haiti and the Turks and Caicos also braced for its effects.The storm was expected to generate a surge of up to 12 feet in the region and drop up to 20 inches of rain in parts of eastern Cuba. Intense rain could cause life-threatening flooding with numerous landslides, U.S. forecasters said.Jamaica rushes to assess the damageJamaican officials reported complications in assessing the damage, while the National Hurricane Center said the local government had lifted the tropical storm warning.“There’s a total communication blackout on that side,” Richard Thompson, acting director general of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, told the Nationwide News Network. More than half a million customers were without power late Tuesday.Extensive damage was reported in parts of Clarendon in the south and in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which was “underwater,” said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council. He said the storm damaged four hospitals and left one without power, forcing officials to evacuate 75 patients.Video above: Jamaican police station turned into shelter in hard-hit areaSanta Cruz town in St. Elizabeth parish was devastated. A landslide blocked main roads. Streets were reduced to mud pits. Residents swept water from homes as they tried to salvage belongings. Winds ripped off part of the roof at St. Elizabeth Technical High School, a designated public shelter.“I never see anything like this before in all my years living here,” resident Jennifer Small said.“The entire hillside came down last night,” said another resident, Robert James.The government said it hopes to reopen all of Jamaica’s airports as early as Thursday to ensure quick distribution of emergency relief supplies.The U.S. government said it was deploying a disaster response team and search and rescue personnel to the region. And the State Department said non-emergency personnel and family members of U.S. government employees were authorized to leave Jamaica because of the storm’s impact.

    SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba —

    Hurricane Melissa brought dangerous flooding and storm surge to Cuba on Wednesday after leaving Jamaica with widespread power outages and causing flooding that killed 25 people in Haiti, officials say.

    Jean Bertrand Subrème, mayor of the southern Haitian coastal town of Petit-Goâve, told The Associated Press that 25 people died after La Digue river burst its banks and flooded nearby homes.

    Dozens of homes collapsed and people were still trapped under rubble as of Wednesday morning, he said.

    “I am overwhelmed by the situation,” he said as he pleaded with the government to help rescue victims.

    Only one official from Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency was in the area, with residents struggling to evacuate amid heavy floodwaters unleashed by Hurricane Melissa in recent days.

    At least one death was reported in Jamaica, where Melissa roared ashore Tuesday with top sustained winds of 185 mph, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record. A tree fell on a baby in the island nation’s west, state minister Abka Fitz-Henley told local radio station Nationwide News Network, adding that most destruction was concentrated in the southwest and northwest.

    “That was hell. All night long, it was terrible,” said Reinaldo Charon in Santiago de Cuba. The 52-year-old was one of the few people venturing out Wednesday, covered by a plastic sheet in the intermittent rain.

    Parts of Granma province, especially the municipal capital, Jiguaní, were underwater, said Gov. Yanetsy Terry Gutiérrez. More than 15 inches of rain was reported in Jiguaní’s settlement of Charco Redondo.

    Officials reported collapsed houses, blocked mountain roads and roofs blown off. Authorities said about 735,000 people remained in shelters in eastern Cuba.

    Melissa had top sustained winds of 100 mph, a Category 2 storm, and was moving northeast at 14 mph according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. The hurricane was centered about 150 miles south of the central Bahamas.

    Melissa was forecast to continue weakening as it crossed Cuba but remain strong as it moves across the southeastern or central Bahamas later Wednesday. It was expected to make its way late Thursday near or to the west of Bermuda. Haiti and the Turks and Caicos also braced for its effects.

    The storm was expected to generate a surge of up to 12 feet in the region and drop up to 20 inches of rain in parts of eastern Cuba. Intense rain could cause life-threatening flooding with numerous landslides, U.S. forecasters said.

    Jamaica rushes to assess the damage

    Jamaican officials reported complications in assessing the damage, while the National Hurricane Center said the local government had lifted the tropical storm warning.

    “There’s a total communication blackout on that side,” Richard Thompson, acting director general of Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, told the Nationwide News Network. More than half a million customers were without power late Tuesday.

    Extensive damage was reported in parts of Clarendon in the south and in the southwestern parish of St. Elizabeth, which was “underwater,” said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council. He said the storm damaged four hospitals and left one without power, forcing officials to evacuate 75 patients.

    Video above: Jamaican police station turned into shelter in hard-hit area

    intensity models show how strong the storm is forecast to become

    Santa Cruz town in St. Elizabeth parish was devastated. A landslide blocked main roads. Streets were reduced to mud pits. Residents swept water from homes as they tried to salvage belongings. Winds ripped off part of the roof at St. Elizabeth Technical High School, a designated public shelter.

    “I never see anything like this before in all my years living here,” resident Jennifer Small said.

    “The entire hillside came down last night,” said another resident, Robert James.

    The government said it hopes to reopen all of Jamaica’s airports as early as Thursday to ensure quick distribution of emergency relief supplies.

    The U.S. government said it was deploying a disaster response team and search and rescue personnel to the region. And the State Department said non-emergency personnel and family members of U.S. government employees were authorized to leave Jamaica because of the storm’s impact.

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  • Jamaica braces for catastrophic damage as Category 5 Hurricane Melissa approaches

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    Hurricane Melissa was set to pummel Jamaica on Tuesday as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, the strongest to lash the island since record-keeping began 174 years ago.The storm was expected to make landfall early Tuesday and slice diagonally across the island, entering near St. Elizabeth parish in the south and exiting around St. Ann parish in the north, forecasters said.Hours before the storm, the government said it had done all it could to prepare as it warned of catastrophic damage.“There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said. “The question now is the speed of recovery. That’s the challenge.”Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported ahead of the storm, with officials in Jamaica cautioning that the cleanup and damage assessment would be slow.A life-threatening storm surge of up to 13 feet is expected across southern Jamaica, with officials concerned about the impact on some hospitals along the coastline. Health Minister Christopher Tufton said some patients were relocated from the ground floor to the second floor, “and (we) hope that will suffice for any surge that will take place.”The storm already was blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing. Jamaica braces for catastrophic damageMelissa was centered about 115 miles southwest of Kingston and about 290 miles southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba. The system had maximum sustained winds of 175 mph and was moving north-northeast at 5 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.“We will get through it together,” said Evan Thompson, principal director at Jamaica’s meteorological service.Colin Bogle, a Mercy Corps adviser based near Kingston, said most families are sheltering in place despite the government ordering evacuations in flood-prone communities.“Many have never experienced anything like this before, and the uncertainty is frightening,” he said. “There is profound fear of losing homes and livelihoods, of injury, and of displacement.”Matthew Samuda, Jamaica’s water and environment minister, said he had more than 50 generators available to deploy after the storm, but warned people to set aside clean water and use it sparingly.“Every drop will count,” he said.Melissa takes aim at CubaMelissa also was expected to make landfall in eastern Cuba late Tuesday as a powerful hurricane.A hurricane warning was in effect for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Holguin provinces, while a tropical storm warning was in effect for Las Tunas. Up to 20 inches of rain were forecast for parts of Cuba, along with a significant storm surge along the coast.Cuban officials said Monday that they were evacuating more than 600,000 people from the region, including Santiago, the island’s second-largest city.Melissa also has drenched the southern regions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with a tropical storm warning still in effect for Haiti.The hurricane was forecast to turn northeast after Cuba and strike the southeast Bahamas by Wednesday evening.A hurricane warning was in effect for the southeastern and central Bahamas, and a tropical storm warning was issued for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

    PORT ROYAL, Kingston Parish —

    Hurricane Melissa was set to pummel Jamaica on Tuesday as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, the strongest to lash the island since record-keeping began 174 years ago.

    The storm was expected to make landfall early Tuesday and slice diagonally across the island, entering near St. Elizabeth parish in the south and exiting around St. Ann parish in the north, forecasters said.

    Hours before the storm, the government said it had done all it could to prepare as it warned of catastrophic damage.

    “There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said. “The question now is the speed of recovery. That’s the challenge.”

    Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported ahead of the storm, with officials in Jamaica cautioning that the cleanup and damage assessment would be slow.

    A life-threatening storm surge of up to 13 feet is expected across southern Jamaica, with officials concerned about the impact on some hospitals along the coastline. Health Minister Christopher Tufton said some patients were relocated from the ground floor to the second floor, “and (we) hope that will suffice for any surge that will take place.”

    The storm already was blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.

    Hearst OwnedHearst Television

    Jamaica braces for catastrophic damage

    Melissa was centered about 115 miles southwest of Kingston and about 290 miles southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba. The system had maximum sustained winds of 175 mph and was moving north-northeast at 5 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

    “We will get through it together,” said Evan Thompson, principal director at Jamaica’s meteorological service.

    Colin Bogle, a Mercy Corps adviser based near Kingston, said most families are sheltering in place despite the government ordering evacuations in flood-prone communities.

    “Many have never experienced anything like this before, and the uncertainty is frightening,” he said. “There is profound fear of losing homes and livelihoods, of injury, and of displacement.”

    Matthew Samuda, Jamaica’s water and environment minister, said he had more than 50 generators available to deploy after the storm, but warned people to set aside clean water and use it sparingly.

    “Every drop will count,” he said.

    hurricane

    intensity models show how strong the storm is forecast to become

    Melissa takes aim at Cuba

    Melissa also was expected to make landfall in eastern Cuba late Tuesday as a powerful hurricane.

    A hurricane warning was in effect for Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and Holguin provinces, while a tropical storm warning was in effect for Las Tunas. Up to 20 inches of rain were forecast for parts of Cuba, along with a significant storm surge along the coast.

    Cuban officials said Monday that they were evacuating more than 600,000 people from the region, including Santiago, the island’s second-largest city.

    Melissa also has drenched the southern regions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with a tropical storm warning still in effect for Haiti.

    The hurricane was forecast to turn northeast after Cuba and strike the southeast Bahamas by Wednesday evening.

    A hurricane warning was in effect for the southeastern and central Bahamas, and a tropical storm warning was issued for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

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  • Humberto intensifies to a major hurricane and is expected to get stronger, forecasters say

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    Humberto roared to a major Category 3 hurricane on Friday and was expected to gain even more strength over the next couple of days.The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Hurricane Humberto had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. It was centered about 430 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands.Humberto could produce life-threatening surf and rip currents for the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Bermuda over the weekend, forecasters said. Meanwhile, the center of Gabrielle, now a post-tropical cyclone, moved away from the Azores, and the hurricane warning for the entire Portuguese archipelago was discontinued by the Azores Meteorological Service. On Friday afternoon, the storm was about 245 miles east-northeast of Lajes Air Base in the Azores.Maximum sustained winds were near 65 mph with higher gusts. One observatory reported sustained winds of 78 mph, which would be hurricane-level.Some strengthening was forecast through Friday night, with weakening expected over the weekend, and Gabrielle was expected to approach the Portugal’s coast by early Sunday. Swells expected to produce life-threatening surf and rip currents were expected to reach Portugal, northwestern Spain and northern Morocco on Saturday.In the Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Narda was churning about 880 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California and heading west-northwest at 15 mph. The Category 1 storm was expected to maintain its strength on Friday before weakening over the weekend.Swells generated by Narda were affecting southwestern and west central Mexico and Baja California Sur, forecasters said. The swells that could bring life-threatening surf and rip current conditions were expected to reach southern California over the weekend.

    Humberto roared to a major Category 3 hurricane on Friday and was expected to gain even more strength over the next couple of days.

    The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Hurricane Humberto had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. It was centered about 430 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands.

    Humberto could produce life-threatening surf and rip currents for the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Bermuda over the weekend, forecasters said.

    Meanwhile, the center of Gabrielle, now a post-tropical cyclone, moved away from the Azores, and the hurricane warning for the entire Portuguese archipelago was discontinued by the Azores Meteorological Service. On Friday afternoon, the storm was about 245 miles east-northeast of Lajes Air Base in the Azores.

    Maximum sustained winds were near 65 mph with higher gusts. One observatory reported sustained winds of 78 mph, which would be hurricane-level.

    Some strengthening was forecast through Friday night, with weakening expected over the weekend, and Gabrielle was expected to approach the Portugal’s coast by early Sunday. Swells expected to produce life-threatening surf and rip currents were expected to reach Portugal, northwestern Spain and northern Morocco on Saturday.

    In the Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Narda was churning about 880 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California and heading west-northwest at 15 mph. The Category 1 storm was expected to maintain its strength on Friday before weakening over the weekend.

    Swells generated by Narda were affecting southwestern and west central Mexico and Baja California Sur, forecasters said. The swells that could bring life-threatening surf and rip current conditions were expected to reach southern California over the weekend.

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  • Tracking the Tropics: Hurricane Erin passes Jacksonville’s latitude Wednesday hundreds of miles away

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    Hurricane Erin tracks north in the W. Atlantic, passing Jacksonville’s latitude midday today almost 500 miles away.

    • Tropical Storm Warnings and Storm Surge Warnings are in effect for the North Carolina Outer Banks.

    • Erin lifts away from the U.S. and into the North Atlantic on Friday.

    • Two other tropical waves are in the Central Atlantic way behind Erin.

    • At this time, long-range forecast models either keep these systems out to sea, or don’t even develop them.

    • We have time to track these areas and the next name on the 2025 list is Fernand (pronounced fair-NAHN).

    • Besides Erin, there is no threat to Florida for at least a week (and potentially longer).

    WATCH THE FORECAST | DOWNLOAD THE APPS

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  • Hurricane Erin churns up dangerous surf and rip currents along the East Coast

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    Hurricane Erin is churning up life-threatening rip currents and dangerous surf along much of the U.S. East Coast and will soon send destructive waves and storm surge to North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Meanwhile, Atlantic hurricane season is hitting its stride, threatening to spin up another named storm in Erin’s wake.Erin, a sprawling Category 2 hurricane, is not forecast to make landfall but will impact much of the East Coast with dangerous coastal conditions as it tracks north, nearly paralleling the coast. Bermuda will face similar conditions to the storm’s east.Preparations are ramping up along the coast with the worst of Erin’s impacts expected to begin Wednesday in North Carolina. Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency on Tuesday to free up resources as the state’s coastal region readies up for the hurricane’s threats.Erin is already creating dangers: Dozens of rip current rescues have been conducted in North Carolina, and popular beaches in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey, as well as all public beaches in New York City, have enacted no swimming decrees until Erin’s threat passes.More than a dozen people were rescued at North Carolina’s Wrightsville Beach on Tuesday, following about 60 rescues at the beach Monday, according to Sam Proffitt, the town’s ocean rescue director.The beach has issued a no-swim advisory through Friday, but Proffitt said most of those rescued have been beachgoers going for a swim on what is seemingly just another hot, sunny day. But Erin is already causing frequent rip currents in the area.“They are very large, sometimes several blocks wide, and extremely strong,” Proffitt told CNN. “It’s a lot of water moving. It’s a lot of energy. It’s all funneling out. So it really doesn’t matter how good of a swimmer you are.”Not far to the north, Surf City Fire Department Ocean Rescue Services made 15 rescues Monday, Fire Chief Allen Wilson told CNN.A tropical storm warning stretches from the middle of North Carolina’s coast up to its border of Virginia. The warning means tropical-storm-force winds (39 to 73 mph) are expected within 36 hours. A tropical storm watch has been issued for areas north of the Virginia–North Carolina border up to Chincoteague, Virginia, just south of Delaware.A tropical storm watch has also been issued for Bermuda.Dare and Hyde counties, which encompass most of the Outer Banks, have already issued local states of emergency with mandatory evacuations for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands.Officials worried some may disregard the danger because landfall isn’t expected. “They’re thinking since this one isn’t going to hit us directly, it’s not going to be a problem. Well, it’s going to be a problem,” Dare County Manager Robert Outten told WITN.North Carolina’s Highway 12, the slim, scenic stretch of road connecting the islands of the Outer Banks, could be completely inaccessible for several days due to significant coastal flooding. Other coastal roads could be impassable at times, especially around high tide.“I know many who live on the island feel they can ride out a storm, but Hurricane Erin is different,” Dare County Emergency Management Director Drew Pearson said in a Tuesday news release. “Extended flooding and the threat to Highway 12 will severely limit our ability to respond — and even a slight shift in Erin’s track toward our coast could bring much more dangerous conditions. Please, do not take the risk. Evacuate now, while it is still safe to do so.”The hurricane exploded in strength to a Category 5 over the weekend, fueled by very warm water, in one of the fastest rapid intensification bursts on record in the Atlantic. While its category has changed since then, its threat has not.Its outer bands lashed Puerto Rico, the southeast Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, causing flooding, power outages and some airport closures.Erin’s life-threatening impactsThe hurricane’s impact will be felt not through direct landfall, but through water: large, pounding surf, dangerous currents and coastal flooding during high tides.That water is being driven by Erin’s expansive winds. Tropical storm-force winds extended more than 260 miles out from Erin’s center early Wednesday and could reach even farther by Thursday, when it makes its closest pass to the North Carolina coast.Erin’s winds could push up to 4 feet of storm surge onto the Outer Banks late Wednesday into Thursday. A storm surge warning is in effect for a large portion of the region. Rip current risks will remain high along much of the East Coast through late this week.Extensive beach erosion is likely in the Outer Banks, with waves of 20 feet or more forecast this week, according to the National Weather Service. These large waves “will likely cause severe beach and coastal damage,” the National Weather Service in Morehead City, North Carolina, cautioned Tuesday.Protective sand dunes could be inundated and destroyed, which could lead to severe flooding inland, National Park Service officials at Cape Hatteras National Seashore warned Monday.Multiple Outer Banks homes have collapsed into the ocean in recent years, including at least three around this time last year from Hurricane Ernesto’s waves. At least two homes in Rodanthe are “very, very vulnerable” to collapse this week, Cape Hatteras National Seashore Superintendent Dave Hallac told WRAL.As if that wasn’t enough, the tides around the Outer Banks will be at their highest levels of the month on Wednesday and Thursday. Adding Erin’s large waves to the mix could cause serious coastal flooding.Bermuda also lies in Erin’s path of influence, with forecasters expecting the island to see very rough seas and possibly tropical storm–force winds later this week.More tropical trouble could follow ErinAtlantic hurricane season’s most active stretch typically kicks off in mid-August and that’s certainly ringing true this year. The National Hurricane Center is monitoring two areas for possible tropical development in the same part of the Atlantic Erin tracked through last week.The first area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms is over the open tropical Atlantic and has a medium chance of developing into a tropical depression or tropical storm within the next week.The storminess is forecast to approach the Leeward Islands on Friday, but it’s still unclear if it will be able to develop into at least a tropical depression by then or if that organization will happen over the weekend. Without that key point in focus, it’s even less clear where the system could head from there. Anyone in the Caribbean, Bahamas and southeastern U.S. should keep an eye on the forecast this week.Another area near Africa’s Cabo Verde islands has a low chance to develop over the next few days before it runs into more hostile atmospheric conditions at the end of the week. If this system does develop into a tropical depression or tropical storm in the coming days, it will likely slowly trudge over the Atlantic, away from land, into at least next week.The next two tropical storms that develop in the Atlantic will be given the names Fernand and Gabrielle.

    Hurricane Erin is churning up life-threatening rip currents and dangerous surf along much of the U.S. East Coast and will soon send destructive waves and storm surge to North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Meanwhile, Atlantic hurricane season is hitting its stride, threatening to spin up another named storm in Erin’s wake.

    Erin, a sprawling Category 2 hurricane, is not forecast to make landfall but will impact much of the East Coast with dangerous coastal conditions as it tracks north, nearly paralleling the coast. Bermuda will face similar conditions to the storm’s east.

    Preparations are ramping up along the coast with the worst of Erin’s impacts expected to begin Wednesday in North Carolina. Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency on Tuesday to free up resources as the state’s coastal region readies up for the hurricane’s threats.

    Erin is already creating dangers: Dozens of rip current rescues have been conducted in North Carolina, and popular beaches in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey, as well as all public beaches in New York City, have enacted no swimming decrees until Erin’s threat passes.

    hurricane

    More than a dozen people were rescued at North Carolina’s Wrightsville Beach on Tuesday, following about 60 rescues at the beach Monday, according to Sam Proffitt, the town’s ocean rescue director.

    The beach has issued a no-swim advisory through Friday, but Proffitt said most of those rescued have been beachgoers going for a swim on what is seemingly just another hot, sunny day. But Erin is already causing frequent rip currents in the area.

    “They are very large, sometimes several blocks wide, and extremely strong,” Proffitt told CNN. “It’s a lot of water moving. It’s a lot of energy. It’s all funneling out. So it really doesn’t matter how good of a swimmer you are.”

    Not far to the north, Surf City Fire Department Ocean Rescue Services made 15 rescues Monday, Fire Chief Allen Wilson told CNN.

    A tropical storm warning stretches from the middle of North Carolina’s coast up to its border of Virginia. The warning means tropical-storm-force winds (39 to 73 mph) are expected within 36 hours. A tropical storm watch has been issued for areas north of the Virginia–North Carolina border up to Chincoteague, Virginia, just south of Delaware.

    A tropical storm watch has also been issued for Bermuda.

    Dare and Hyde counties, which encompass most of the Outer Banks, have already issued local states of emergency with mandatory evacuations for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands.

    Officials worried some may disregard the danger because landfall isn’t expected. “They’re thinking since this one isn’t going to hit us directly, it’s not going to be a problem. Well, it’s going to be a problem,” Dare County Manager Robert Outten told WITN.

    North Carolina’s Highway 12, the slim, scenic stretch of road connecting the islands of the Outer Banks, could be completely inaccessible for several days due to significant coastal flooding. Other coastal roads could be impassable at times, especially around high tide.

    “I know many who live on the island feel they can ride out a storm, but Hurricane Erin is different,” Dare County Emergency Management Director Drew Pearson said in a Tuesday news release. “Extended flooding and the threat to Highway 12 will severely limit our ability to respond — and even a slight shift in Erin’s track toward our coast could bring much more dangerous conditions. Please, do not take the risk. Evacuate now, while it is still safe to do so.”

    The hurricane exploded in strength to a Category 5 over the weekend, fueled by very warm water, in one of the fastest rapid intensification bursts on record in the Atlantic. While its category has changed since then, its threat has not.

    Its outer bands lashed Puerto Rico, the southeast Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, causing flooding, power outages and some airport closures.

    Erin’s life-threatening impacts

    The hurricane’s impact will be felt not through direct landfall, but through water: large, pounding surf, dangerous currents and coastal flooding during high tides.

    That water is being driven by Erin’s expansive winds. Tropical storm-force winds extended more than 260 miles out from Erin’s center early Wednesday and could reach even farther by Thursday, when it makes its closest pass to the North Carolina coast.

    Erin’s winds could push up to 4 feet of storm surge onto the Outer Banks late Wednesday into Thursday. A storm surge warning is in effect for a large portion of the region. Rip current risks will remain high along much of the East Coast through late this week.

    Storms in the Atlantic as shown by satellite.

    Extensive beach erosion is likely in the Outer Banks, with waves of 20 feet or more forecast this week, according to the National Weather Service. These large waves “will likely cause severe beach and coastal damage,” the National Weather Service in Morehead City, North Carolina, cautioned Tuesday.

    Protective sand dunes could be inundated and destroyed, which could lead to severe flooding inland, National Park Service officials at Cape Hatteras National Seashore warned Monday.

    Multiple Outer Banks homes have collapsed into the ocean in recent years, including at least three around this time last year from Hurricane Ernesto’s waves. At least two homes in Rodanthe are “very, very vulnerable” to collapse this week, Cape Hatteras National Seashore Superintendent Dave Hallac told WRAL.

    As if that wasn’t enough, the tides around the Outer Banks will be at their highest levels of the month on Wednesday and Thursday. Adding Erin’s large waves to the mix could cause serious coastal flooding.

    Bermuda also lies in Erin’s path of influence, with forecasters expecting the island to see very rough seas and possibly tropical storm–force winds later this week.

    More tropical trouble could follow Erin

    Atlantic hurricane season’s most active stretch typically kicks off in mid-August and that’s certainly ringing true this year. The National Hurricane Center is monitoring two areas for possible tropical development in the same part of the Atlantic Erin tracked through last week.

    The first area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms is over the open tropical Atlantic and has a medium chance of developing into a tropical depression or tropical storm within the next week.

    The storminess is forecast to approach the Leeward Islands on Friday, but it’s still unclear if it will be able to develop into at least a tropical depression by then or if that organization will happen over the weekend. Without that key point in focus, it’s even less clear where the system could head from there. Anyone in the Caribbean, Bahamas and southeastern U.S. should keep an eye on the forecast this week.

    Another area near Africa’s Cabo Verde islands has a low chance to develop over the next few days before it runs into more hostile atmospheric conditions at the end of the week. If this system does develop into a tropical depression or tropical storm in the coming days, it will likely slowly trudge over the Atlantic, away from land, into at least next week.

    The next two tropical storms that develop in the Atlantic will be given the names Fernand and Gabrielle.

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  • Map: Here’s the latest forecast path of Hurricane Erin

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    Hurricane Erin will bring life-threatening surf and rip-currents to parts of the U.S. coast this week, despite its path keeping it well offshore, according to the forecasters with the National Hurricane Center.

    Tropical storm and storm surge watches have been issued for the Outer Banks of North Carolina. High seas and rip-currents are possible from Florida through New England.

    As of early Tuesday, Erin was a Category 3 hurricane near the Bahamas, with tropical-storm-force winds extended out hundreds of miles from its core.

    Despite some slight shifting in Hurricane Erin’s forecast track, it is still expected to take a path roughly midway between the U.S. East Coast and the Bahamas.

    Here’s the latest forecast track:

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  • “Milton Pass” gaping waterway formed by Hurricane Milton’s storm surge, winds

    “Milton Pass” gaping waterway formed by Hurricane Milton’s storm surge, winds

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    A new pass in Englewood has been formed by Hurricane Milton’s strong winds and storm surge, according to The Weather Channel.The storm cut a new pass through a barrier island, which happened two weeks after Helene ripped open Midnight Pass on Siesta Key, The Weather Channel wrote. Meteorologist Matt Devitt said that Hurricane Helene started the path and Hurricane Milton finished it. The pass is about 8 to 10 feet deep, he said. Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida’s west coast on Oct. 9 as a Category 3 storm, leaving behind a trail of destruction.Related: Hurricane Milton ravaged one of the most popular areas for ‘snowbirds’ on Florida’s Gulf Coast

    CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. —

    A new pass in Englewood has been formed by Hurricane Milton’s strong winds and storm surge, according to The Weather Channel.

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    The storm cut a new pass through a barrier island, which happened two weeks after Helene ripped open Midnight Pass on Siesta Key, The Weather Channel wrote.

    Meteorologist Matt Devitt said that Hurricane Helene started the path and Hurricane Milton finished it. The pass is about 8 to 10 feet deep, he said.

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    Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida’s west coast on Oct. 9 as a Category 3 storm, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

    Related: Hurricane Milton ravaged one of the most popular areas for ‘snowbirds’ on Florida’s Gulf Coast

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  • Where is Perry, Florida? The center of Hurricane Helene’s landfall

    Where is Perry, Florida? The center of Hurricane Helene’s landfall

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    Where is Perry, Florida? The center of Hurricane Helene’s landfall

    WE HAVE BREAKING NEWS AT 8:00. THAT’S AN UPDATE ON HURRICANE HELENE. AND THIS STORM IS JUST GETTING STRONGER. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. I’M MICHELLE IMPERATO, AND I’M JESSE PAGAN. HELENE IS NOW FORECAST TO BECOME A MAJOR CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE BY THURSDAY. WE’RE JOINED BY CHIEF METEOROLOGIST TONY MAINOLFI METEOROLOGIST CAM TRAN. GUYS, THAT NEW UPDATE JUST CAME DOWN. BANDS STARTING TO PUSH IN, BUT WE’VE GOT OTHER INFORMATION ON THAT. YEAH. SO WITH THE 8:00 ADVISORY, THE WINDS DID NOT REALLY CHANGE. BUT WHAT WE ARE WATCHING FOR IS THE MILLIBAR PRESSURE THAT IS A SIGN THAT THE STORM IS STRENGTHENING THE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANES. THERE’S ACTUALLY TWO OF THEM IN THE SYSTEM RIGHT NOW INVESTIGATING. AND THEY DID SEE A PRESSURE DROP IN THIS STORM. TONY SO THE CORRELATION THAT WE LIKE TO MAKE IS THE PRESSURE DROPS. THE WINDS NORMALLY GET HIGHER OR STRONGER. IT DIDN’T DROP ON THE IT DIDN’T INCREASE THE WINDS. BUT I THINK WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO SEE IN THE NEXT ADVISORY 11 IS YOU’RE GOING TO SEE A BIGGER POP IN THE WIND SPEED AS THE PRESSURE CONTINUES TO COME DOWN. YOU CAN GET THE PRESSURE TO DROP. AND SOMETIMES THE WINDS NOT TO GO UP. THAT’S WHAT WE’RE SEEING RIGHT NOW. BUT I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO SEE THAT KIND OF FIX ITSELF AT 11:00. NOW, THE STORM HAS BEEN OVER WATER, SO THIS IS EXPECTED. YEAH. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY EXPECTED. IN FACT, WE’RE JUST BEGINNING THAT RAPID INTENSIFICATION. RIGHT NOW. SO LET ME TAKE YOU BACK OUTSIDE. I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOME OF THE SCENES NOW WITH OUR PARTICULAR STORM SYSTEM HERE AND WHAT IT’S DOING ON THE AIRPORTS, 88 FLIGHTS ON TIME, 36 DELAYED, FOUR CANCELED. THIS BOARD IS GOING TO BE CHANGING A LOT, BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. SO WE’LL CONTINUE TO POP THAT IN FOR YOU FROM TIME TO TIME. NORTH NOW MOVEMENT AT 12 MILES AN HOUR. YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE THE WIND SPEEDS 85 HASN’T GONE UP FROM THE 5:00 ADVISORY, BUT AS CAM ALLUDED TO, THE PRESSURE IS STILL COMING DOWN. SO WE’LL LIKELY SEE A BIGGER INCREASE IN THE WINDS AROUND THE CORE AS WE GET TO THAT 11:00 ADVISORY. SO HERE IS HELENE SIZE COMPARISON TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA. UNDERNEATH IT AND IN THE FAR NORTHWESTERN CORRIDOR, THERE ARE THREE COUNTIES OUTSIDE OF ANY WARNINGS JUST TO KIND OF SHOW YOU THE OVERALL LARGE SIZE OF THIS STORM. WELL OUTSIDE OF THE CONE. AND LOOK AT THIS. THE NEW INFORMATION FROM THE 5:00 ADVISORY CAT. FOUR WINDS AT 130 MILES AN HOUR. AND THERE’S ROOM FOR THAT TO GET A LITTLE BIT STRONGER BEFORE LANDFALL. INCREDIBLY GOOD AGREEMENT. NOW FOR SEVERAL RUNS ON OUR COMPUTER MODELS. AND THEY’RE ALL WITHIN THE CONE. GIVES US A HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT WE’RE DOING A GOOD JOB WITH WHAT WE’RE BEING PRESENTED WITH. SO THE CONFIDENCE FOR LANDFALL THERE CONTINUES TO BE QUITE HIGH ALONG WITH THE FORECAST THERE. FOR THIS TO BE A MAJOR HURRICANE. EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE IN SYNC. THE THING THAT YOU REALLY NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF IS THAT WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT HELENE, THERE ARE GOING TO BE FAR REACHING IMPACTS. WELL, OUTSIDE OF THAT CONE. AND WE CANNOT STRESS THAT ENOUGH. ALTHOUGH THE GREATEST WIND CONCERN IS NOT HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, IT IS UP HERE. STATE CAPITAL OVER TOWARDS APALACHICOLA. YOU DO NOT NEED TO PUT YOUR SHUTTERS UP. WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT A HURRICANE COMING HERE. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ALL ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA, WESTERN MARION COUNTY COULD BE A FEW GUSTS AT OR JUST ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE. THAT UPPER LOW IS BEGINNING TO PULL THIS NOW TO THE NORTH. IT WILL SLINGSHOT IT TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST. HERE, AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS, THE SIZE OF THE STORM, ABOUT 650 MILES WIDE, THE SIZE OF THE WIND FIELD, NOT THAT BIG IN THE YELLOW AREA. CLOSER TO 250 TO 325 MILES. NOW AND GROWING WITH EACH HOUR. LET’S TAKE A LOOK NOW TO WHAT’S GOING ON DOWN TO THE SOUTH. HAVEN’T HAD ANY WARNINGS. REMEMBER WE TRY TO LOOK AT THESE STORMS AS KIDS TO SEE WHAT THEIR BEHAVIOR IS DOWN TO THE SOUTH, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS HERE EVENTUALLY HEADS OUR WAY. SO SO FAR, SO GOOD AS THE STORM IS LIFTING TO THE NORTH NOW, WE’VE HAD A COUPLE OF BANDS COME ON THROUGH CENTRAL FLORIDA. NO REAL SIGNIFICANT WINDS OVER 40 MILES AN HOUR. SO FAR. BUT THE ONE THING I AM WATCHING AGAIN, THIS STORM IS RIGHT IN HERE. SOME VERY WARM WATERS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN AND THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO THAT IS GOING TO ALLOW FOR THIS STORM TO CONTINUE TO INTENSIFY. AND THAT’S GOING TO HAVE A BIG IMPACT O

    Where is Perry, Florida? The center of Hurricane Helene’s landfall

    As Hurricane Helene prepares to land on Thursday, many are wondering where it will make landfall: and Perry appears to be the target. Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 hurricane, is expected to make landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region on Thursday. Its size is forecast to be about 370 miles just before touching down. Perry, Florida, a small town located in Taylor County, appears in the Big Bend region just 50 miles southeast of Tallahassee. The town contains about 7,000 people, according to the 2023 U.S. Census.Most counties in the Big Bend region are under a hurricane warning. Only three counties aren’t under warnings in the far western Panhandle. St. Marks, a city in Wakulla County and Gadsden County, bordering Tallahassee’s Leon County, are also in the path of the hurricane.Helene also brings the danger of life-threatening storm surge along the west coast of the Florida Peninsula and Florida Big Bend, where a Storm Surge Warning is in effect, according to the National Hurricane Center. The peak storm surge in the Big Bend region will bring waves 15 to 20 feet high. With winds from 130-156 mph, it can bring catastrophic damage with most trees down and power and water out for weeks in this area. >> Track Hurricane Helene Radar here:

    ORLANDO, Fla. —

    As Hurricane Helene prepares to land on Thursday, many are wondering where it will make landfall: and Perry appears to be the target.

    Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 hurricane, is expected to make landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region on Thursday. Its size is forecast to be about 370 miles just before touching down.

    Perry, Florida, a small town located in Taylor County, appears in the Big Bend region just 50 miles southeast of Tallahassee. The town contains about 7,000 people, according to the 2023 U.S. Census.

    Most counties in the Big Bend region are under a hurricane warning. Only three counties aren’t under warnings in the far western Panhandle.

    St. Marks, a city in Wakulla County and Gadsden County, bordering Tallahassee’s Leon County, are also in the path of the hurricane.

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    Helene also brings the danger of life-threatening storm surge along the west coast of the Florida Peninsula and Florida Big Bend, where a Storm Surge Warning is in effect, according to the National Hurricane Center.

    The peak storm surge in the Big Bend region will bring waves 15 to 20 feet high. With winds from 130-156 mph, it can bring catastrophic damage with most trees down and power and water out for weeks in this area.

    >> Track Hurricane Helene Radar here:

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