Additional Coverage:
- North Carolina and Virginia on edge as horror Hurricane Umberto barrels across Atlantic (themirror.com)
Humberto Becomes Major Hurricane; Southeast U.S. Braces for Developing Tropical System
The Atlantic Ocean is a busy place, with Hurricane Humberto rapidly intensifying into a major Category 3 storm on Friday, packing winds exceeding 115 mph. While Humberto is not expected to make a direct U.S. landfall, its powerful presence is forecast to persist until at least Tuesday as it nears the mid-Atlantic states, including Virginia and the Carolinas, potentially bringing dangerous ocean conditions.
On Friday afternoon, Humberto was churning approximately 430 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, on a path that will take it toward the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda over the weekend. Coastal residents in these areas are warned to anticipate life-threatening surf and rip currents, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.
Meanwhile, a separate system, Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, is drawing significant attention closer to home. A tropical storm warning was issued for the Central Bahamas, with the disturbance positioned about 55 miles north-northwest of eastern Cuba, sporting top winds of 35 mph. Portions of the northwestern Bahamas were placed under a tropical storm watch.
Forecasters at the hurricane center believe this potential cyclone is likely to organize into a tropical depression — the next name in the alphabet would be Imelda — by Saturday, and could become a tropical storm by Sunday. The projected track puts this system on approach to the Southeast U.S. over the weekend and into early next week, prompting widespread preparedness efforts.
In anticipation of potential impacts, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency Friday evening. Citing uncertainty regarding the storm’s exact path and intensity, the governor emphasized the need for preparedness, a move that enables state emergency officials to coordinate with local and federal governments and ensures residents will be eligible for federal aid if needed.
Earlier on Friday, crews in Charleston, South Carolina, were already taking proactive measures, assembling sandbags, inspecting high-water vehicles, and preparing pumps to manage any potential floodwaters. “Even though this has not formed yet, we are treating it as if we are expecting some kind of impact.
That’s critical. We don’t want to downplay the scenario,” stated Chief Fire Marshal Michael Julazadeh during an emergency Charleston City Council meeting.
The tropical disturbance has already unleashed heavy rains in the Dominican Republic on Friday. Authorities there evacuated hundreds and declared a red alert in five provinces due to widespread flooding of rivers, streams, and ravines.
Dozens of communities were cut off by landslides and fallen bridges, including one tragic incident where a bridge collapsed with a truck crossing, killing the driver in Yamasá. In the southwestern province of Azua, one of the hardest-hit areas, at least 774 people were displaced, with 26 seeking shelter due to the overflowing Tábara River, according to Civil Defense spokesman Jensen Sánchez.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has urged residents in coastal areas of the Southeast U.S. to closely monitor the developing weather system, confirming that its staff “is ready to respond swiftly, if needed.”
Elsewhere in the Atlantic, post-tropical cyclone Gabrielle moved away from the Azores, with a hurricane warning for the Portuguese archipelago now discontinued. The system was about 245 miles east-northeast of Lajes Air Base in the Azores and is expected to weaken over the weekend as it approaches Portugal’s coast by early Sunday. Swells producing life-threatening surf and rip currents are anticipated to reach Portugal, northwestern Spain, and northern Morocco on Saturday.
In the Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Narda, a Category 1 storm, was located about 920 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, heading west-northwest at 13 mph. Narda is expected to maintain its strength through Friday before weakening over the weekend. Swells generated by Narda are already affecting coastal Mexico and Baja California Sur, with forecasters anticipating these conditions, including life-threatening surf and rip currents, to reach Southern California over the weekend.