Tropical storm Imelda looms, threatening Southeast US with flooding rain

With Hurricane Humberto quickly escalating to a Category 4 storm in the open Atlantic, the forecasters at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) are reminding U.S. residents to pay closer attention to an even nearer, more immediate hazard i.e., Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, which will graduate into Tropical Storm Imelda.

The winds reached up to 145 mph on Thursday, September 25, and are expected to intensify as they approach Humberto, which is situated far out in the ocean.

Nevertheless, it is estimated that it will stay in the sea.

The more serious risk is posed by the growing system currently located to the north of Cuba, which is potentially threatening the Bahamas, Florida, and the coast of the Southeastern United States at the beginning of next week.

The NHC stated in an advisory that the escalating danger of heavy rainfall associated with this system would occur between the southern Mid-Atlantic and coastal Georgia, potentially causing flash, urban, and river flooding until next week.

Portions of the Bahamas are already under a tropical storm watch, where 4 to 8 inches of rain are expected.

The forecast track indicates that the system may develop into a hurricane as it passes along or near the coast of Georgia and the Carolinas.

One critical issue is a predecessor rain event, a phenomenon where a lot of rain falls before the storm itself. This reminds of what happened last year when Hurricane Helene caused significant damage to the area, but forecasters emphasize that they do not expect such a large amount of rainfall.

The future journey of the Imelda is highly unpredictable. It depends on the presence of a cold front across the Appalachians and a possible convoluted interaction with the enormous Hurricane Humberto via the Fujiwhara effect, in which two cyclones spiral around each other.

Although the primary effect is anticipated to be excessive rainfall, Florida and Carolina residents have been cautioned to pay close attention to forecasts over the weekend because of the developments.