Coastal Storm Develops Today near Florida and Intensifies as It Moves Up the Coast

The storm will strengthen as it tracks offshore of the Carolinas later today. Winds will increase along the coast, especially around the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The most significant impacts of the system look to begin tomorrow in the Northeast, however. Strong winds from the east and northeast will impact the coast from the Delmarva Peninsula, along the Jersey Shore, Long Island, and into coastal New England.

Winds will blow hard Sunday into Monday, at least. Gusts of 50 to 60 mph are forecast at the coast and up to 30 mph inland. Tides at the beaches and in bays, waterways, and sounds will run a few feet above normal with powerful waves crashing onto beaches, causing high water and beach erosion along most of the eastern seaboard.

The National Weather Service has issued a variety of coastal flood alerts from Florida to New England. If you're near the water, beware of the threat to your neighborhood. And remember, the flooding will be saltwater, which is terrible for your car if you drive through it.

Travel may be disrupted Sunday and Monday in the tri-state area around New York City and in Boston. Check with your airline before you go.

A swath of heavy rain is forecast along the coast, especially from Cape Hatteras north to New England. The land is quite dry, however, which will limit flooding. But in many areas, drainage runs into waterways that might be elevated by the extra-high tides, so local freshwater flooding is possible.

Stay alert to changing conditions along the coast and west to the I-95 corridor until the storm moves away on Tuesday.

Tropical Storm Jerry

Jerry is still disorganized, and the National Hurricane Center is not expecting it to pull itself together to become a hurricane before it gets absorbed into a cold front in a few days.

The storm's moisture tail is still impacting the northeast Caribbean with periods of very heavy rain. That will slowly let up as Jerry swings into the central Atlantic, bypassing Bermuda.

In the Far Eastern Atlantic

An unusually robust tropical disturbance for this time of year has moved off Africa. The National Hurricane Center has its odds of development in the low range for now. In any case, it's forecast to turn north into the open Atlantic.

Interestingly, some computer forecasts show yet another African disturbance moving into the Atlantic next week. We'll watch for that.

Seasonal Change?

These fronts and sharp dips in the jet stream create hostile conditions across the Gulf, Florida, and the Bahamas, which will keep us free from tropical threats for at least the next week or two. Hurricane season goes on elsewhere, however, so we'll have to watch to be sure that an opening doesn't develop for something to move north from the Caribbean.