A potential tropical storm is brewing in the Atlantic and by late Friday could threaten areas of the Bahamas recently devastated by Hurricane Dorian, forecasters warned.
The new storm is not expected to pack nearly the destructive power of Dorian, a Category 5 hurricane that killed at least 50 people and left widespread damage across the islands. But the storm could pose a challenge to rescuers, who were still searching for about 1,300 missing people as of Thursday.
At 2 a.m. Friday, the approaching storm system, packing sustained wind speeds of 30 miles per hour, was about 210 miles southeast of the hard-hit Abaco Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was expected to gain strength and bring tropical storm-force winds — defined as sustained winds of 39 to 73 miles per hour — and heavy rainfall to the northwest Bahamas on Friday and Saturday, forecasters said. A tropical storm warning was in effect for much of the area.
Parts of Florida’s east coast could get tropical storm-force winds and heavy rain over the weekend, and residents were advised to monitor the storm’s progress. The storm was moving slowly as of Friday morning, at just three miles per hour, but forecasters expected it to gain speed through the weekend.
Significant storm surge was not expected, forecasters said. But parts of the Bahamas were expected to get three to five inches of rain, while the Florida coast through southeastern Georgia could get two to four inches.
The storm would be named Humberto if it becomes strong enough to be classified as the year’s ninth tropical storm. The National Hurricane Center said at 11 p.m. Thursday that it was 80 percent likely to reach that strength within 48 hours, and 90 percent likely within five days.
