Hurricane Florence near Category 5 heading to the east coast of the United States



[ad_1]

The hurricane that is approaching the east coast of the United States is expected to turn into a Category 5 storm, the most intense category on the hurricane assessment scale, from here 36 hours.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Florence blew sustained winds of nearly 140 km / h at 5 am Tuesday. It is currently a Category 4 storm.

Hurricane Florence is currently located in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, near Bermuda and the South West Carolina.

The map below shows the probable course of tropical storm winds from Tuesday to Sunday.

NOAA

Hurricane Florence is expected to continue throughout the week, although "some fluctuations in intensity are likely," according to the NHC.

The new speed "brings Florence closer to category 5 in the next 24 to 36 hours," added the NHC.

Category 5 is the highest level on the Saffir – Simpson scale, which is used to assess the intensity of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean. It is also used to estimate potential material damage and coastal flooding.

Storms with a wind speed of 157 mph or more are classified in category 5.

Read more: Here are the areas that could be affected by Hurricane Florence

A photo of Hurricane Florence taken by NASA astronauts was taken Monday.
NASA via AP

The storm could remain powerful when it would cross the American continent and could penetrate up to Pittsburgh.

NHC warned Tuesday against a "deadly storm surge" and "destructive hurricane force winds" along the coastlines of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

He also said that "potentially life-threatening freshwater floods" and "a prolonged and unusually heavy rain event" could take place in these states and move inland for hundreds of miles.

A buoy from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration located about 80 nautical miles north of the eye of the storm has reported tropical storm winds over several hours early Tuesday morning and a sea level that can reach 23 feet.

The map below shows the probable trajectory of the storm center over the next few days. "Hazardous conditions," such as high winds, rainfall and floods, may occur outside the projected area, NHC said.

NOAA

Hurricane Florence was about to touch land somewhere around North Carolina and South Carolina. It should slow down as the coast approaches and continue to move inland.

It could inflict the hottest hurricane on the Carolinas in recent history. North Carolina has only known another category 4 storm in recent history, in 1954.

Both Carolinas, as well as Virginia, declared the state of emergency while they were preparing.

About 1 million people have been ordered to evacuate their homes. Millions of others have stocked supplies such as gas cans, generators, plywood and sandbags, according to the Associated Press.

Read more: The 16 most destructive hurricanes in the history of the United States

Larry Pierson of Palms Island, South Carolina, buys bottled water for Hurricane Florence on Monday, September 10th.
Mic Smith / AP

President Donald Trump approved on Monday night declarations of urgency in the Carolinas and authorized the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist.

Two other hurricanes, Isaac and Helen, are also in the Atlantic Ocean. The map below, published early Tuesday morning, indicates their approximate location.

Read more: Hurricane Florence and 2 other hurricanes swirl in the Atlantic. Here is what they look like in space.

Locations of hurricanes Florence, Isaac and Helen from 11 am EDT on September 11th.
NOAA

[ad_2]
Source link