Hurricane Florence threatens the East Coast of the US

Hurricane Florence threatens the East Coast of the US © National Hurricane Center

Dangerous category 4 storm threatens the Carolinas with storm surge, flooding rains, and high winds - more than a million are evacuating.

Three storms in the Atlantic are threatening various parts of the Caribbean and Americas. Category 4 Hurricane Florence with winds of 140 mph is heading for Cape Hatteras, while Isaac downgraded to a tropical storm is heading for the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico. Hurricane Helene, still close to Africa as of this writing is now a powerful category 2 storm and turning to the North. Two other disturbances are being tracked, one mid-Atlantic and another in the Gulf of Mexico.

There's never been a storm like Florence before developing so far north in the Atlantic so all predictions are unprecedented. Florence is expected to slow down and even stall as it arrives along the coast, causing prolonged exposure to hazardous conditions. States of emergency have been declared in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia in preparation for Florence's arrival. Lower Chesapeake Bay as well as Pamlico and Albermarle Sounds may be most vulnerable. The National Seashores on the Outer Banks have been closed.

In the Pacific, Olivia has been downgraded from a Category 1 Hurricane but continues to make progress toward Hawaii.

Please heed all warnings and find safe harbour in which to make hurricane preparations now. It is advisable to check your yacht insurance policy for instructions on required preparations before named storms. Some policies now require haul out in advance of a storm's arrival.

For more information visit NOAA National Weather Service website.

This article has been provided by the courtesy of Ocean Cruising Club.