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- Aug 29, 2016 · Subscribe to USA TODAY. ... Tropical trouble: Storms head for Florida, North Carolina, ... Storms head for Florida, North Carolina, Hawaii.
Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Just as two tropical depressions threaten drenching rain, high winds and churning seas to the East and Gulf Coasts, the first of two hurricanes is approaching Hawaii.
"We cannot recall a case where three tropical cyclones were directly impacting the U.S. at the same time," National Hurricane Center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said.
The tropical depressions could become tropical storms within the next day or two. A tropical depression becomes a named tropical storm when wind speeds reach 39 mph. Storms become hurricanes at 74 mph.
Whichever depression reaches that wind threshold first will be named Hermine, while the other will be called Ian. Those would be the 8th and 9th named tropical storms or hurricanes in the Atlantic this year.
While this level of activity is extreme, it's not unusual that it's happening at this time of year. The peak of hurricane activity usually extends from late August through early October. Government forecasters earlier this year had predicted a near-normal season, with 10 to 16 tropical storms, of which 4-8 would be hurricanes.
A separate forecast from experts at Colorado State University said 12 tropical storms would form, with five becoming hurricanes.
As of 2 p.m. ET Tuesday, Tropical Depression 8 was about 70 miles south of Cape Hatteras, N.C., with winds of 35 mph, the hurricane center said. The disorganized system, which could reach the tropical storm threshold at some point Tuesday, was stationary, the center said.
A tropical storm warning is still in effect for North Carolina's Outer Banks. That means tropical storm conditions are expected later Tuesday. The center of the depression will be near the Outer Banks overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday.
Drenching showers, thunderstorms and rough surf will threaten the Carolina coast over the next couple of days, AccuWeather said.
The second storm, known as Tropical Depression 9, was about 340 miles west of Key West, Fla., with winds of 35 mph as of 11 a.m. ET Tuesday. It was moving to the west-northwest at 7 mph. It's also forecast to become a tropical storm later Tuesday.
That depression continued to bring torrential rains to western Cuba on Tuesday, the hurricane center said. The system will continue to funnel heavy rain across much of central and southern Florida through the week, which could lead to flash flooding.
No watches or warnings are in effect for Tropical Depression 9, though the storm is forecast to make landfall along the west coast of Florida on Thursday, according to the hurricane center.
“We can’t rule out that this won’t become a hurricane," said Mark Wool, the warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tallahassee. "So people need to prepare,” he added.
Heavy rain will be the main threat from the storm, the hurricane center said, with total rainfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches possible over much of the Florida peninsula through Friday morning, with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches possible.
Severe thunderstorms could also fire up some tornadoes on Thursday across northern Florida, the Storm Prediction Center said.
"Florida families on the Gulf Coast and in the Tampa Bay Area need to prepare for five to ten inches of heavy rainfall as well as potential tornadoes, Gov Rick Scott said in a statement Tuesday. Gov. Scott visited the Emergency Operations Center in Tampa on Tuesday for briefings on the storm’s potential impacts to the area.
A preseason football game between the Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, scheduled to be played Thursday in Tampa Bay, was moved to Wednesday.
Thousands of miles away, in the central Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Madeline is approaching Hawaii and will move over or near the Big Island by early Thursday, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.
Based on the current track, strong, damaging winds and very heavy rainfall are likely across the Big Island, the weather service warned. In addition, large and damaging surf is expected along east facing shores of the Big Island as well.
As of Tuesday, the storm had winds of 120 mph. It was about 445 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii. A hurricane watch has been issued for the Big Island.
Yet another hurricane, Lester, was also spinning far out in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, and could eventually impact portions of Hawaii by the Labor Day weekend. As of 11 a.m. ET, it had winds of 120 mph.
The strongest storm currently in the Atlantic Ocean, Hurricane Gaston, remained far out to sea Tuesday. The storm, with winds of 120 mph, is the season's first major hurricane, and is spinning hundreds of miles east of Bermuda. Though it's expected to weaken later this week, it will continue moving out to sea but could impact the Azores by the weekend.
Still another tropical wave emerged off the African coast near the Cape Verde Islands on Tuesday. The system will trek west across the Atlantic Ocean over the next several days. The hurricane center gave the system a 40% chance of developing into a depression or storm within the next five days.
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