Tropical storm Florence, which is now operating some 1,500 miles from outside banks in North Carolina, "is expected to be a dangerous hurricane near the southeastern coast of the United States by the end of next week" , The National Hurricane Center said Saturday.

Meanwhile, the remains of tropical storm Gordon permeate portions of the Midwest and East Saturday and Sunday, likely resulting in widespread and dangerous floods.

"Many areas of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana will continue to see a flood risk during Saturday's day," said Ryan Adamson, a meteorologist at AccuWeather. According to the National Weather Service, some places could see half a foot of rain during the weekend.

More than 50 million people live where flood warning or flood monitoring is in effect, mainly in the Midwest and Texas.

Regarding Florence, the hurricane center said Saturday morning that "the gradual recovery is scheduled for the weekend and that Florence is expected to become a Sunday hurricane and a major hurricane early next week".

The governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, declared the state of emergency Friday night. Cooper said it was "too early" to know where the storm was going to occur, but locals should use the weekend to prepare for the eventuality of a natural disaster.

At noon Saturday, Florence had 65 mph winds and was crawling west at 7 mph. The center of the storm was about 835 miles southeast of Bermuda.

Latest forecasts show that Florence is approaching the US East Coast as a category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 km / h on Thursday. A Category 4 hurricane can cause power outages that will last for weeks or even months, the hurricane center said. If the hurricane hits land with these winds – which is possible but not certain – "most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months."

Heavy rains could also cause catastrophic flooding inland, where the storm hits the land, which is possible from Florida to New England, AccuWeather said.

The Weather Channel said that "all interests along the US east coast, from Florida to New England, should closely monitor Florence's forecast.If you live in a hurricane-prone area, you have a preparation plan or warnings are issued. "

The hurricane center warned that "the waves generated by Florence affect Bermuda and reach parts of the eastern coast of the United States over the weekend, these waves may cause deadly surfing and tearing conditions"

Two other systems, tropical storm Helen and the new tropical depression, also rotate in the center and east of the Pacific Ocean. Although Helen does not affect the land, the tropical depression is expected to strengthen for Hurricane Isaac and potentially affect the Caribbean next week.

Contributor: Associated Press

Read or share this story: https://usat.ly/2oRtmU3