Hurricane Florence has turned into a Category 4 storm while Gordon is moving inland

This satellite image shows Hurricane Florence in the North Atlantic Ocean Wednesday night.

(National Hurricane Center / NOAA)

Florence, the first major storm of this year's hurricane season in the Atlantic, was turned Wednesday into a Category 4 storm as forecasters warned it could cause dangerous surf conditions in Bermuda later this year. week.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the maximum sustained winds in Florence are estimated at 130 miles per hour. The storm is centered about 1,295 miles east-southeast of Bermuda and moves northwest at 13 mph.

Forecasters expect Florence to weaken somewhat over the next few days, but the storm is expected to remain a strong hurricane early next week.

The National Hurricane Center said the waves generated by Florence would begin to affect Bermuda on Friday. There are no watches or warnings currently in effect in the United States.

While Florence was accelerating in the Atlantic, the remnants of the tropical depression Gordon spread heavy rain bands in parts of the south while she was circling the Mississippi.

The rain turned around the center of the storm in the Jackson, Mississippi area Wednesday afternoon. And bands came up from the Gulf, bringing down more rain in northwestern Florida – where 10.48 inches had already fallen to the Pensacola International Airport in Florida on Wednesday morning – in the center of the city. 39, Alabama and Tennessee.

New Orleans, which had been preparing for severe flooding, remained untouched. And the people of the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, who were expecting serious damage, were largely spared. A dozen casinos that were closed were allowed to reopen Wednesday noon. Boaters and fishermen have returned to the marinas after fleeing inland the day before.

Gordon never reached hurricane strength by the time he landed Tuesday night, just west of the Mississippi-Alabama line. Maximum sustained winds were 70 mph. It has eliminated electricity for at least 27,000 utility customers in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. By Wednesday afternoon, the numbers had dropped to about 5,800 in Alabama, 3,000 in Mississippi, and just over 2,000 in Florida.

What remains of Gordon is expected to head northeast in Arkansas, which is expected to receive heavy rains on Wednesday night. On Saturday, it was anticipated that what was left of the storm would be hanging north and then northeast on a path to the Great Lakes. National Weather Service offices in Missouri and Oklahoma said Gordon's remains could add to front-end rain, already causing heavy rains in parts of the Midwest. The flash flood watches extended from the panhandle of Florida to parts of southwestern Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa and Illinois.

Associated Press contributed to this report.