Another unnamed tropical depression was turning out to sea on Wednesday after threatening the North Carolina coast, according to the hurricane center.
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A tropical storm warning has been issued Wednesday morning for a section of Florida’s Gulf coast as a tropical depression approaches.
“We’re not anxious about the storm so much unless they say there’s something to worry about”, Joe Walker said.
This one is the most immediate threat to U.S. soil, as it is churning less than 100 miles from the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
But the hurricane center on Tuesday took the unusual step of issuing hurricane and tropical storm watches for portions of Florida’s Gulf coast. If it attains hurricane strength before landfall, it would be the first hurricane to hit Florida since October 2005. The powerful storm is packing winds of 125 miles per hour, a category 3, but a combination of cooler ocean waters and increased wind shear should weaken the storm to a category 1 or 2 by Wednesday.
Forecasters earlier had anxious the area could get up to 5 inches of rain as the storm passed near the coast.
Officials said that residents and businesses along the coast should be rapidly making preparations Wednesday, such as boarding up and sandbagging as necessary.
Flooding, storm surge, fierce winds and tornadoes were all threats to the region, which could begin feeling the storm late on Wednesday, Florida Governor Rick Scott said in a statement. Eventually heading into central/northern Florida Thursday.
A new tropical wave near Africa has a medium chance of becoming the next tropical depression or storm over the next five days, and this one will need to be monitored for potential impacts on the United States as we get into the second week of September. All watches and warnings for this system have been dropped. A watch means that hurricane/tropical storm conditions are possible within 48 hours.
In the Pacific, Category 1 Hurricane Madeline churned toward Hawaii, promising to bring heavy rain and high winds.
Tropical Depression Nine could soon become a tropical storm. So far, seven named storms have formed in the Atlantic this year. Hurricane season ends November 30. Whether the storm makes landfall or not, hurricane-force winds and very heavy rainfall are likely.
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Confidence has increased this morning that Savannah will be impacted by a tropical storm Thursday into Friday.
