The National Hurricane Center in Miami on Wednesday had posted a hurricane watch for areas in Florida and one tropical storm warning beginning Thursday.
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“Last night, hurricane and tropical storm watches were issued along Florida’s Gulf Coast from Pasco County to Gulf County”.
Tropical Storm Hermine has formed in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center.
The hurricane center cautioned not to focus on the forecast landfall point alone: “Among other reasons, unsafe storm surge flooding is likely along the coast well to the east and south of the path of the center”.
Forecasters say they expect that system to turn to the northeast toward Florida and become a tropical storm sometime Wednesday.
“Heavy rain associated with this tropical moisture will likely start Wednesday and totals of 5 to 8 or more inches are possible by Thursday evening”.
Once on land, the storm looks to track through southern Georgia, and then heads up the coast of SC. Located 215 miles east-southeast of Cape Hatteras, NC, Eight is moving northeast away from the coast at 16 mph. As of 11 a.m. EDT Friday, it had weakened from its peak wind speed of 80 miles per hour to a tropical storm. Tornadoes could also occur, mainly in central Florida.
Crowds thinned Tuesday on the beaches of North Carolina’s Outer Banks ahead of a tropical weather system that threatened to bring strong winds and heavy rains that could flood low-lying areas.
Hurricane force winds begin at 74 miles per hour. That high volume could trigger flash flooding.
Forecast models predict it will lose strength over land and then potentially pick up as it skirts the Atlantic Coast along Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Thankfully, Hermine won’t bring near the power, but things are shaping up to be pretty nasty by Friday night is things stay on schedule. While expected to weaken later this week, Gaston could impact the Azores by the weekend, possibly as a tropical storm.
The current expectation is for several inches of rain.
Forecasters earlier had anxious the area could get up to 5 inches of rain as the storm passed near the coast.
The tropical disturbance will approach NC from the east, leading to storms, gusty winds and high surf along the coast.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Andrew Hagan says the tropical depression that’s expected to become a tropical storm later Wednesday is keeping the atmosphere more moist than usual.
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Rainfall of 5 to 10 inches is possible over portions of central and northern Florida through Friday, with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches possible.
