Hurricane Updates

2023

Hurricane Lee

9/16/2023: 9:33 am
Lee has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 80 mph moving north at 25 mph past the New Hampshire coast, which is under a tropical storm warning. Gusts exceeding 40 mph, rain, high surf and rip currents are expected on New Hampshire's coast as Lee weakens and continues northward into the Gulf of Maine. It is predicted to make landfall in Nova Scotia later on Saturday.

9/15/2023: 10:44 am
Hurricane Lee, a category 1 storm, is moving toward New England and parts of Canada with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. As of 5 a.m., Lee was 490 miles southeast of Nantucket and traveling north toward Nova Scotia where it could make landfall as a tropical storm late Saturday afternoon or evening. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for a wide swath of the New England coast that includes seven million people in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Dangerous surf and rip tides are expected as the storm approaches with rainfall of 1 - 4 inches expected from Friday night through Saturday night.

9/14/2023: 11:37 am
Hurricane Lee was approximately 245 miles southwest of Bermuda as of this morning and is moving north across the Atlantic at approximately 12 mph with maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour. A hurricane watch has been issued for parts of New England and Nova Scotia and could make landfall in Maine or Nova Scotia over the weekend. Even if it doesn't make landfall, it will bring heavy rain, wind, and coastal flooding to the area.

Hurricane Idalia

8/31/2023: 9:30 am
Idalia was downgraded to a tropical storm Wednesday afternoon with sustained winds of 60 mph as it moved through South Carolina and North Carolina where, forecasters say, it will continue its track on the North Carolina coast. The National Hurricane Center says the storm will bring heavy rainfall in amounts from 2 - 4 inches and could generate life-threatening flash flooding on the North Carolina coast throughout Thursday morning and afternoon before moving farther out over the Atantic toward evening.

8/30/2023: 8:23 pm
Hurricane Idalia made landfall with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph near Keaton Beach in the Big Bend area where the panhandle meets west coast of Florida. It is now moving across Florida toward the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina. Residents in the storm's path are urged utmost caution in the face of flooding, strong winds and tornadoes that have already impacted Florida.

8/29/2023: 10:47 pm
According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Idalia, with sustained winds of 110 mph, has continued to strengthen almost to a Category 3 storm. It is expected to make landfall early Wednesday morning somewhere along the coast from Wakulla County to Taylor County. By midday, the storm will be moving quickly through the region and into southern Georgia.

8/29/2023: 6:55 am

Idalia has strengthened into a hurricane with sustained winds of 75 mph. As of Tuesday at 5 am, Idalia was 85 miles north of the west tip of Cuba, moving at 14 mph. Forecasters are predicting it to intensify into a Category 3 storm while moving over the eastern Gulf of Mexico today, making landfall on the central west coast of Florida on Wednesday morning.

Areas in the west coast of Florida, the Panhande, southeast Georgia and the eastern Carolinas could get 4 - 8 inches of rain from Tuesday to Thursday, with danger of life-threatening storm surge from 8 - 12 feet along portions of Gulf Coast.

8/28/2023: 9:25 am
A Hurricane Watch has been issued for Alachua County, including Gainesville, on top of an existing Hurricane Watch that remains in effect for the Gulf coast of Florida from Englewood to Indian Pass. A Tropical Storm Watch has also been issued south of Englewood to Chokoloskee.

Tropical Storm Idalia is forecast to become a hurricane later today and is expected to become a major storm (Category 3 and above) before it reaches the coast on Wednesday. Forecasters urged residents of the west coast of Florida and the Florida panhandle to prepare for possible hurricane-force winds, heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and dangerous storm surge.