Hot on the heels of Danny, which is now just a remnant low bringing rain to parts of the Caribbean, a new tropical storm has formed in the Atlantic.
Erika developed late Monday night, and is expected to strengthen over the next several days as it moves towards the northwest. A Tropical Storm Watch, indicating tropical storm conditions are possible, is already in effect for the Leeward Islands in the West Indies.
At this point, Erika is expected to pass just north of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola between now and Friday. That would put it near the Bahamas by the weekend. Sea surface temperatures are very warm there, and it’s expected that Erika will reach hurricane strength by then.
Any time a named storm reaches the Bahamas, everyone on the East Coast needs to remain vigilant.
It’s too early to know where the storm goes from there, but climatology would suggest the storm will begin to curve north or northeast. Again, that’s not an Erika specific forecast, and instead is just based on how similar storms have acted.
With a hurricane lurking near the East Coast, it’s wise to stay up with the forecast over the next several days. And while it’s very premature to know if the storm will have meaningful impacts on the East Coast, it’s a good opportunity to think about hurricane preparedness in general. Think about what supplies you would need should a hurricane ever impact your town. That includes things like batteries, water, non-perishable foods, and medication.
A hurricane hasn’t made landfall in New England since Bob struck in 1991.
