The US National Hurricane Center has identified a possible developing storm, named ‘Nadine’, emerging on the heels of the deadly and imminent Category 5 Hurricane Milton.
The current “non-tropical low pressure zone,” NHC officials noted, is currently “producing gale-force winds” northeast of the Bahamas at 15 miles per hour.
Right now, this weather front has a 20 percent chance of becoming a tropical storm and could become a stronger hurricane-force storm by Wednesday night, just as Milton moves over Florida.
NHC officials described Hurricane Milton as “potentially catastrophic” for Florida’s western coastal communities alone, a clear indication that another storm so soon would cause unprecedented damage.
The US National Hurricane Center has identified a potential storm (in yellow above) emerging on the heels of deadly Category 5 Hurricane Milton. Right now, this weather front has a 20 percent chance of becoming a tropical storm or worse, which would be called ‘Nadine’.
Fortunately, after Wednesday night, according to Andrew Hagen, NHC hurricane specialistThe percentage chance of these hurricane-force winds developing into a still-hypothetical Hurricane Nadine is likely to decrease dramatically.
“Upper-level winds are likely to increase Wednesday night, which should end any chance for further development,” the NHC marine meteorologist wrote in his Tuesday advisory.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, hurricanes typically develop from tropical waves that combine with warm ocean waters.
Thunderstorms and other atmospheric turbulence can help drive a storm front to build up hurricane strength, as warmer ocean air rises toward these storm clouds, creating an area of low pressure beneath it.
A hurricane’s maximum sustained wind speed, defined as the highest one-minute average wind speed at a particular time, sets the boundary between these powerful storms and minor tropical cyclones.
Hurricanes are defined as anything that reaches 74 mph or more.
A tropical cyclone is defined by maximum sustained winds between 39 and 73 mph.
The NHC described Hurricane Milton as “potentially catastrophic” for Florida’s western coastal communities, and trackers predicted Milton will move northeast before turning sharply east toward Tampa.
Tampa Bay and surrounding communities are bracing for storm surges of up to 15 feet that will cause inland flooding as residents try to flee amid traffic congestion.
Hurricane Milton, currently a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane with 155 mph winds, continues to pound the Gulf of Mexico heading toward Florida, as shown on the GOES-East satellite at 10:09 GMT on October 8, 2024.
In all Florida counties caught in Milton’s northeast path, rainfall is expected to reach five to 10 inches, with some regions likely to face up to 15 inches.
These heavy rains are expected to cause flash flooding, slow and more persistent “regional” flooding, saturated stormwater drainage systems and “moderate to major river flooding,” according to the World Meteorological Organization.
Milton surprised meteorologists with its ability to evolve in less than three days from a tropical depression or cyclone (with winds of no more than 38 mph) to a potentially deadly and unprecedented Category 5 hurricane.
The worst of Hurricane Milton’s impact is forecast to continue into the early morning hours of Thursday, with the eye of the storm passing through central Florida before passing its east coast sometime after 5 a.m. ET.
More than a million people have been told to evacuate Florida, the largest evacuation in seven years after around seven million people were advised to leave Florida in 2017 as Hurricane Irma hit the state.
Florida residents seeking assistance are urged to call the State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) at 1-800-342-3557 and/or the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362.