Hurricane Irene marches closer
Hurricane Irene is continuing its march toward the East Coast. The Category 3 storm strengthened Wednesday, and its top sustained winds are near 115 miles per hour, and even more power is expected today and tonight, the National Weather Service said in an advisory this morning.
Right now, the storm's hurricane-force winds extend 70 miles from the center, the NWS said, and the tropical storm-force winds swell out 255 miles.
As the storm moves over the Bahamas, it's expected to drop 6 to 12 inches of rain in addition to its life-threatening rip currents and waves, the NWS said.
For Marylanders, the biggest worry is still the storm's coming deluge of rain -- and the flooding it may bring with it. Read the latest on Maryland preparations here. And find a list of resources here.
Comments
The track is shifting west again. Two different models now have it going right over Baltimore, and most of the tracks are over or west of Cape Hatteras.
The forecasting pattern has moved away from trending east to trending west. This is not good news for us. Well, it's not good news for anyone rational. Me? Nerdvana. ;-)
Posted by: Gregory Hill | August 25, 2011 9:57 AM
FR: 11:00 Forecast Discussion from the National Hurricane Center and the 5 Day Track Forecast http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/152235.shtml?5day#contents
look very ominous for Assateague Island and Ocean City, don't you think?
Posted by: trebort49 | August 25, 2011 11:48 AM