As the storm wound its way up the coast on Sunday after killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands in Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia last week, National Hurricane Center (NHC) director Rick Knabb warned in a webcast that Hermine “could become hurricane force again”.
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Manzo further explains what to expect: “Hermine is moving towards the northeast and is expected to turn northward later today, followed by a turn northwestward late Sunday night”, he said.
Hurricane Hermine, which claimed two casualties in Florida and North Carolina, regained strength and is now bringing havoc in the entire U.S. East Coast.
In New Jersey, tropical storm force winds could whip up on Monday’s Labor Day holiday.
Optimistic that the threat from Hermine was waning Sunday night, Gov. Chris Christie directed that Island Beach State Park be reopened Monday at 9 a.m., but the governor noted state officials would closely monitor the storm’s track.
Although there seemed to be no issues with inclement weather early Sunday, Christie warned residents to not be “lulled” by the sunny skies and pleasant weather, urging caution to beach goers and swimmers. “Don’t think that nothing is going to happen, because something is going to happen”.
The eastern track means a less severe impact, but you’re still going to see beach erosion, storm surges and unsafe rip currents.
Beaches throughout East Hampton are closed to swimming as Tropical Storm Hermine moves up the coast, though after changing course slightly overnight it is expected to be less intense.
The storm – which hit Florida as a Category One hurricane on Friday – was forecast to slam the city with tropical storm conditions for several days starting Sunday. Winds along the south coast will be a bit stronger than anywhere else. On Nantucket, winds already had reached 30 miles per hour by noon, as the storm slowly traveled northeast. Coastal areas will be impacted the most, Manzo says.
“The storm itself is tracking a little farther offshore than it was forecast to do”, said Mike Rusnak, a meteorologist in the weather service’s Wakefield, Va., forecast office.
Maximum sustained winds are at 70 miles per hour, moving east-northeast at 10 miles per hour.
Forcasters reported the greatest risk for unsafe surge along the western shoreline of New York’s Long Island Sound, and wind gusts of at least 40 miles per hour.
In North Carolina, trucker was killed when his rig overturned Saturday because of high winds on a bridge.
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Earlier in Florida, a homeless man was killed by a falling tree.
