Hurricane Irma’s path toward U. S. is up in the air
Hurricane Irma regained strength Sunday to a Category 3 storm, with winds at 115 mph and an unpredictable path that might strike North America next week anywhere between Florida and Nova Scotia.
A sharper image of the hurricane’s track should come into focus by Tuesday, said meteorologist Philip Klotzbach with Colorado State University.
The storm also could turn back out to sea without hitting the U. S. mainland.
“The forecast cone is several hundred miles wide, so we’ll all be watching, waiting and being prepared,” Klotzbach said Sunday. “We don’t want the entire coastline from Florida to Maine to freak out, but pay attention.”
While Texas and Louisiana dry out from the former Hurricane Harvey’s devastating rainfall, the nation is on high alert but needs to be patient, Klotzbach said. He suggested residents on the Eastern Seaboard refresh preparedness kits and keep close watch on the forecasts.
“Subtle shifts in the path now can make big changes as to where it goes next,” he said. “Follow your local emergency managers, and start thinking about what you’d do if there’s an order to evacuate or shelter in place.”
Irma is tracking toward the Bahamas by Thursday.
The National Hurricane Center said Sunday that Irma likely will be a major hurricane — Category 3 or higher — when it moves near the northeastern Leeward Islands by midweek and could cause dangerous winds, storm surge and rainfall.