Hurricane Irene – 1st of the Season – Could Hit Miami

Tropical Storm Irene strengthened into a hurricane as it came ashore over Puerto Rico, reaching category 1, according to the most recent bulletin, released at 5:00 AM AST, from the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The center of Hurricane Irene was “located along the north coast of Puerto Rico,” said the NHC. It is expected to continue moving toward the west-northwest near 12 mph (19 km/h) “for the next couple of days.” On that track Irene will “move off the north coast of Puerto Rico this morning, and move near or over the northern coastal regions of the Dominican Republic this afternoon and tonight.”

Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph (120 km/h) with higher gusts. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 15 miles, 30 kms, from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles, 240 kms, mainly northwest and northeast of the center. The NHC indicated that “some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours.”

In addition to the strengthening winds, Irene is also expected to bring significant amounts of rain – 5 to 10 inches (8 to 16 cms) – across Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands.

The NHC warned that “isolated maximum amounts of up to 20 inches (32 cms) are possible. These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides in areas of steep terrain.”

According to the center’s projected track, Irene is on course to pass over, or very near, Florida’s eastern coast late Thursday night or early Friday morning. The present forecast, which is subject to change, puts it on course to pass directly over the Miami area.

Source: National Hurricane Center

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Hurricane