A powerful Atlantic hurricane may have just saved the Southeast from disaster. Forecasters say Hurricane Humberto's movement over open ocean is steering Tropical Storm Imelda away from the US, likely sparing the Carolinas and surrounding states from potentially severe flooding, the Washington Post reports. Imelda is expected to become a hurricane by Tuesday morning. Humberto, a Category 5 hurricane at one point, has weakened to a Category 4 but it is "expected to remain a dangerous major hurricane into Tuesday," the National Hurricane Center says.
Imelda, which has been slow to organize and move north, is expected to get caught up in Humberto's atmospheric flow and pulled out to sea. As a result, the Southeast will see some rain, wind, and rough surf over the next few days, but impacts are expected to be scattered rather than widespread. High surf advisories and warnings about dangerous rip currents are in place along the coast from Florida to the mid-Atlantic. The weather is forecast to improve by the end of the week as drier, sunnier conditions move in. Bermuda, however, faces a different outlook. Humberto is forecast to pass west of the island, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and waves of up to 15 feet. Imelda could have an even more significant impact midweek.
Forecasters believe the storms will "dance" around in each other in a phenomenon known at the Fuijwhara Effect, LiveScience reports. "The rare Fujiwhara Effect between Humberto and Imelda is expected to help spare the southeast US from widespread flooding rainfall," says Alex DaSilva, the lead hurricane expert at AccuWeather. "The influence from the much stronger and larger Humberto will tug at Imelda and help pull the storm away from the US and out to sea."
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