Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Florence grows, on track to be historic hurricane
Hurricane Florence’s winds have slightly simmered down, but the storm — expected to bring historic deluges of rain, storm surge and flooding — has expanded in size.
That could mean less wind damage during landfall, now predicted for Friday afternoon somewhere in North Carolina, but an increase in life-threatening storm surge.
Florence, currently a Category 3 storm with 115 mph winds, is expected to maintain that strength through Thursday afternoon and then weaken slightly as it nears the Carolinas. Once it gets there, it will likely end up trapped in place, by an approaching cold front, and dumping record amounts of rain, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 8 p.m. Wednesday update.
Florence is predicted to break state records for rainfall from a hurricane or tropical storm, according to Weather Underground.
“The inner-core and outer fields have continued to expand, resulting in an increase in the cyclone’s total energy,” said Stacy Stewart, a hurri-
cane specialist at the national center in Miami.
The storm’s expansive wind field is generating hurricane-strength winds, gusts of at least 74 mph, radiating 70 miles from the core. Tropical storm winds, which mean winds of at least 39 mph, stretch out up to 195 miles from the eye.
A weather buoy in the Atlantic Ocean recorded a sustained gust of 53 mph about 100 miles northeast of the eye — significant because it shows that there are still relatively strong tropical storm-force winds 100 miles from the core.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Florence’s forecast track has it approaching Wilmington, N.C., as a major hurricane and then shifting slightly southward toward South Carolina.
At 8 p.m. Wednesday, it was about 335 miles from Wilmington and fewer than 500 miles from South Florida, according to the hurricane center.
A strong dome of high pressure is steering Florence toward the coast. It is expected to continue drawing energy from the warmth of the Atlantic
The storm also could create a few tornadoes in the eastern region of North Carolina late Thursday morning, the hurricane center said.
Remnants of the storm are likely to linger in parts of the East into next week.
Florence’s potential jog toward the south prompted Georgia’s governor to declare a state of emergency for all 159 counties.
No storm watches or warnings are in effect for Georgia. But forecasters say there’s an increased chance for tropical storm winds to reach Savannah.
The storm was also stirring up some gigantic waves in the open Atlantic Ocean.
Wave heights measuring an incredible 83 feet under the northeast section of the hurricane were reported Wednesday by the National Hurricane Center’s Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch.
That’s not to say 83-feet-high waves will come ashore. But catastrophic storm surge of up to 13 feet could.
When they get to shore, the waves won’t be anywhere in the same ballpark because they will get smaller as the water gets shallower, said Chris Landsea, chief of the tropical analysis at the branch.
Forecasters said Florence was expected to dump 1 to 2 feet of rain that could cause flooding well inland.
A hurricane warning is in effect for nearly the entire coast of North Carolina and the northern half of South Carolina.
Florence is the most dangerous of four tropical systems in the Atlantic. This is the first time in a decade that the Atlantic Ocean has seen four named storms at the same time.
Tropical Storm Isaac
Some good news emerged about Isaac on Wednesday. The storm’s strongest winds were at 60 mph. Isaac is expected to weaken further as it moves west toward the Caribbean.
Hurricane Helene
Far out in the Atlantic, Category 1 Helene’s winds had weakened to 85 mph by 8 p.m. Wednesday, and it was expected to weaken to a tropical storm today. The storm was no threat to land.
Sub-tropical storm Joyce
Say “hello” to sub-tropical storm Joyce which was upgraded from a depression Wednesday evening. Way out in the north Atlantic Ocean, Joyce had winds kicking up to 45 mph and was steaming along at 6 mph. It is forecast to transform into a tropical storm within the next 12 to 24 hours.
Potential depression in Gulf
One, in the southern Gulf of Mexico, is likely to become a tropical depression by Thursday night and is projected to aim toward the Gulf coasts of northeastern Mexico and southeastern Texas.