Hurricane Dorian hangs around for another day
Hurricane Dorian remains the top weather story as it barrels through the Outer Banks of North Carolina today. It made landfall in Cape Hatteras, NC, at 8:35 EDT this morning, September 6, 2019. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) estimated sustained winds were 90 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane.
The eye is moving offshore, but Dorian should remain a powerful hurricane today. Based on the latest forecast track housed inside the FreightWaves SONAR Critical Events platform, Dorian will continue to impact areas from the Outer Banks of North Carolina northward to the Delmarva Peninsula through the afternoon. This includes some inland communities as well as coastal areas. Then the hurricane should be centered to the southeast of extreme southeastern New England tonight and Saturday morning, before moving across Nova Scotia late Saturday or Saturday night, finally ending Dorian’s impact on the U.S.
The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry coastal areas to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The worst storm surge of four to seven feet may occur from Salter Path to Duck, NC, including Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds as well as the Neuse and Pamlico rivers. The surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.
Hurricane-force winds extend up to 45 miles away from Dorian’s eye, and tropical-storm-force winds extend up to 220 miles away. Around 10:00 a.m. EDT today, a Weatherflow station at Avon Sound, North Carolina reported a sustained wind of 83 mph and a wind gust of 98 mph. Tropical storm conditions were spreading onto the southeastern Virginia coast.
Tropical storm conditions are expected elsewhere in the in the mid-Atlantic states later today and over portions of extreme southeastern Massachusetts tonight or early Saturday, including Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Hurricane conditions are possible in Nova Scotia on Saturday.
Brief closures are possible today on sections of I-40, I-74 and I-95. Rail traffic on CSX and Norfolk Southern will remain disrupted across eastern North Carolina and Virginia today before operations gradually increase over the weekend.
Crops such as cotton, soybeans, corn and peanuts, as well as livestock that are located at low elevations near any body of water connected to the ocean, are at risk for death-loss due to storm surge and flooding.
Elevated wildfire threat in the Northwest
Several wildfires are burning across portions of the northwestern U.S., where thunderstorms will develop today. The combination of lightning and strong outflow winds may spark new wildfires, which could spread quickly, and existing fires may become larger. Smoke from the fires could reduce visibility on several highways, including I-84 from eastern Idaho into Oregon.
International weather
Typhoon Lingling continues its journey northward across the East China Sea, heading toward the Yellow Sea. Sustained winds are at 115 mph, equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane. Lingling will probably weaken a bit by tonight, but will remain a powerful typhoon as it moves over the Korean Peninsula this weekend. Operations at some ports and oil facilities in the region may be disrupted.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, and be careful out there!