Hurricane Tammy heads for Caribbean
Hurricane Tammy became the seventh hurricane of the busy Atlantic season with a forecast track that targets the Caribbean’s northern Leeward Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The long-term forecast has Tammy headed north into the Atlantic further growing in strength, with sustained winds up to 90 mph, but no threat to land.
As of 5 p.m. the NHC said Tammy remained a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and higher gusts, and was located about 125 miles east-southeast of Martinique and 200 miles southeast of Guadeloupe moving west-northwest at 7 mph.
Hurricane warnings are in place for Guadeloupe, Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, and St. Kitts and Nevis while hurricane watches are in place for Anguilla, Dominica, St. Maarten, St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, which are also under tropical storm warnings along with Saba and St. Eustatius.
Barbados and Martinique remain under tropical storm watches.
“A turn toward the northwest is anticipated by Friday night, followed by a north-northwestward and northward turn Saturday night through Sunday night,” forecasters said. “On the forecast track, the center of Tammy will move near or over portions of the Leeward Islands tonight through Saturday night, and then move north of the northern Leeward Islands on Sunday.”
Hurricane-force winds extend out 25 miles and tropical storm-force winds extend out to 125 miles, which were expected to begin lashing portions of the Leewards on Friday, with hurricane conditions possible throughout Saturday.
“Gradual strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Tammy is expected to be a hurricane while it moves near or over portions of the Leeward Islands,” forecasters said.
The slowing system could drop 4 to 8 inches of rain, with some areas getting 12 inches in the Leewards with 2 to 4 inches with some areas getting 6 inches in the northern Windward Islands and 1 to 2 inches with some areas getting up to 4 inches in the British and U.S. Virgin Islands as well as eastern Puerto Rico.
Rainfall could create flash and urban flooding as well as isolated mudslides, the NHC warned.
Storm surge could be from 1 to 3 feet above normal tide levels across the Leewards and swells with heavy surf and rip conditions continue to hit parts of the Lesser Antilles.
The system became the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season’s 20th official storm with an unnamed subtropical storm in January and 19 named storms since the official beginning of the six-month season, which runs from June 1-Nov. 30.
Tammy joined hurricanes Don, Franklin, Idalia, Lee, Margot and Nigel. Idalia, which struck Florida’s Big Bend region Aug. 30 was one of three that became major hurricanes, and the only system to make direct Florida landfall this year.