Hurricane Florence Strengthens to Cat. 2, Will Become ‘Extremely Dangerous’ Major Hurricane

Hurricane Florence is now a Category 2 storm and is still forecast to slam into the southeastern United States, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in an update on the morning of  Sept. 10.

The agency said the storm is slated to continue growing in strength and will reach a Category 3 or higher, which constitutes being a “major” hurricane. Forecast models show the center of Florence cutting between the Bahamas and Bermuda on Sept. 11 and Sept. 12 before making landfall on the night of Sept. 13, and it appears that the storm is still targeting around North and South Carolina.

“Florence is forecast to become a major hurricane this morning, and is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane through Thursday,” the hurricane center said.

Hurricane Florence is now a Category 2 storm and is still forecast to slam into the southeastern United States, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in an update on the morning of Monday, Sept. 10. (GOES satellite image/NOAA)

And, it added, that “interests in the southeastern and mid-Atlantic states should monitor the progress of Florence.”

The agency added that satellite images “indicates that the maximum sustained winds have increased to near 105 mph” with higher wind gusts, and “rapid strengthening is forecast.”

“Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles. The estimated minimum central pressure is 969 mb (28.62 inches),” said the NHC in describing the storm.

The governors of North and South Carolina , as well as Virginia, have declared states of emergency ahead of landfall.

According to the North Carolina Emergency Management agency on Sept. 9, there is now an  “increasing risk of life-threatening impacts: storm surge at coast, flooding inland ... Dangerous winds could down trees & cause power outages ... Landfall may be Thurs. If slows after landfall may cause heavier rain & winds.”

There are no coastal warnings in effect for the United States, but swells from Florence are already affecting portions of the U.S. East Coast and Bermuda. “These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” officials said.

The next update on Florence is at 11 a.m. ET.

“Pretend, assume, presume that a major hurricane is going to hit right smack dab in the middle of South Carolina and is going to go way inshore,” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said, Fox News reported.

“Somebody is going to suffer devastating damage if this storm continues as it is currently forecast,” Dan Miller, who is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Columbia, was quoted by Fox as saying.

More Impacts

Accuweather’s Alex Sosnowski noted that the storm will also affect the mid-Atlantic region.

“As we have seen with hurricanes in most recent years, such as Lane in Hawaii earlier this summer and Harvey last year in Texas, feet of rain can fall when these tropical storms stall,” Sosnowski said.

“That scenario has a high probability of occurring in North Carolina and Virginia and possibly portions of neighboring states in the Southeast, Appalachians and mid-Atlantic late this week and this coming weekend,” Sosnowski added.

He noted: “As a result, people from southeastern Virginia to southern New Jersey could have damaging winds and significant coastal flooding, even if Florence hovers or moves ashore in North Carolina.”