Florence Upgraded to Hurricane, Forecast to Hit Carolina Coast Friday

6 years ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Florence Upgraded to Hurricane, Forecast to Hit Carolina Coast Friday
The latest National Hurricane Center forecast places Florence making landfall on the Carolina coast esrly Friday morning with winds 74 to 110 miles per hour. Heavy rain is expected to be the biggest impact inland. The initials in the projected cone are H: Hurricane–wind speed between 74 MPH/120KPH and 110 MPH/180KPH and M: Major Hurricane–wind speed greater than 110 MPH.

Sept. 9, 2018

Florence was officially upgraded to a hurricane Sunday with winds intensifying to 75 miles/120km an hour as it continued to move toward the Carolina coast carrying with it the threat of heavy rain as far as the World Equestrian Games in Tryon.

The National Hurricane Center reported at 11 a.m. US Eastern time Sunday “that Florence is moving toward the west near 6 mph/9 km/h, and this general motion is expected to continue today. A west-northwestward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected by Monday, and that motion is forecast to continue through mid-week.

“On the forecast track, the center of Florence will move over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and the Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday, and approach the southeastern U.S. coast on Thursday.

“Aircraft data indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 75 mph/120 km/h with higher gusts.

“Florence is forecast to rapidly strengthen to a major hurricane by Monday, and is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane through Thursday.

“Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles/30 km from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles/185 km.”

The World Equestrian Games at Tryon, North Carolina are about 220 miles/350km inland.