Florida could see another hurricane next week as Tropical Storm 'Nadine' moves across the Atlantic.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) revealed on Monday that the low-pressure storm has a 50 percent chance of becoming a hurricane as it produces “some showers and disorganized thunderstorms.”
Forecasters are closely monitoring Nadine's path and have discovered that it could reach the Sunshine State in the next seven days or take another route toward Mexico and Central America.
This comes just days after Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit the southeastern coast, causing torrential flooding and tornadoes from Florida to North Carolina.
A tropical depression is heading towards Florida and could become a hurricane in the coming days
“The system is forecast to move generally westward toward warmer waters, and environmental conditions could become more favorable for gradual development by mid to late this week,” the NHC said. shared in the update.
The tropical depression is currently several hundred miles west of the Cape Verde Islands, but could gradually strengthen into a hurricane as it reaches warmer waters near Florida.
The NHC previously classified the storm, formally known as Make Investments 94L, as a disturbance, but has since upgraded it to a tropical depression after its surface winds reached 38 miles per hour, creating cyclones in the Atlantic. .
As it approaches warmer waters, a depression brings devastating rain and thunderstorms that cause severe flooding and can become hurricanes if it reaches winds of 74 miles per hour.
It's unclear if or when the tropical storm will definitely become a hurricane, but forecasters continue to monitor it as it approaches the coast.
The NCH also said the storm has a 10 percent chance of becoming a hurricane in the next 48 hours.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Benz told News Week that if the storm were to become something larger, it probably won't happen until October 17-19 and they won't know what path the storm will take until then.
“One possibility would take the system west toward Central America and southern Mexico, and the other, unfortunately, toward Florida,” DaSilva said in an AccuWeather report. report.
The strength of the storm depends on how much time it spends over water, which could allow it to grow into a hurricane.
If the tropical depression moves toward Central America, it won't have as much time to strengthen, but if its path moves north toward the Gulf of Mexico, it could provide the climate needed to grow.
“Not only are the waters very warm in this area (up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit at depth), but the ocean heat content in the western Caribbean is at record levels for any time of year,” DaSilva said in the report. .
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The impending storm comes as Florida is working to recover from Hurricane Milton that hit Tampa and traveled across the state last week and spawned deadly tornadoes.
At least 17 people died in Florida and, although the state is still assessing the financial cost, the damage is estimated to be in the millions.
Milton also arrived after Hurricane Helene, which hit the Southeast two weeks earlier, leaving states underwater along the coast.
Helene cost between $30.5 billion and $47.5 billion in total damages across 16 states, according to CoreLogic, and has so far claimed the lives of more than 230 people, with many others still missing.
Hurricanes above the mid-October average have already been recorded this year, with four major hurricanes, including Beryl, Helene, Kirk and Milton, hitting the United States.
In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that the United States would have an above-average hurricane season and predicted four to seven Category 3 or higher hurricanes would hit.
The prediction so far has turned out to be true: in mid-October the situation was above historical averages.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.
DailyMail.com has contacted the National Hurricane Center for comment.