(The Center Square) – Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda have drawn as close as 450 to 600 miles apart in the Atlantic Ocean, churning up the surf along much of the East Coast and drawing a warning for storm surge between Florida and South Carolina.
Bermuda, a British territory, is braced for a long and treacherous week. Governors of South Carolina and North Carolina, Henry McMaster and Josh Stein respectively, have declared emergencies that set the foundation for possible taxpayer money to aid recovery from flooding or other damage.
Imelda’s maximum sustained winds of 75 mph lifted it to a Category 1 hurricane, its center about 755 miles west-southwest of Bermuda and about 180 miles north of Great Abaco Island, the National Hurricane Center says. It is forecast to gain some strength into Thursday as Humberto tugs it away from the continental United States.
Humberto’s maximum sustained winds of 100 mph have reduced it to a Category 2 hurricane, its center about 275 miles west of Bermuda. It is passing west of the wealthy archipelago and will continue to weaken.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward 70 miles in each hurricane.
In North Carolina, rainfall of 1 to 2 inches with local totals of up to 4 inches are expected in the southeastern part of the state. Flash and urban flooding is possible, the Hurricane Center said in a warning.
High tides could make coastal flooding possible, the Hurricane Center says. There’s a forecast of 1 to 2 feet from the border of Volusia and Brevard counties in Florida to the South Santee River in South Carolina.
High warning rip currents, the Hurricane Center says, are possible from Maine to Florida. Rip currents – a narrow, channel of water flowing back to the sea at speeds faster than even award-winning swimmers – can cause swimmers to panic, become exhausted if not properly trying to exit, and even lead to death by drowning.
Humberto is cited as the cause of two deaths in Cuba.
Imelda is the ninth named storm in the Atlantic hurricane season that runs through Nov. 30. It is the fourth hurricane.
