By Peter Vankevich
Hurricane Humberto ramped up to a large, powerful Category 5 hurricane on Saturday.
According to the National Weather Service, it was moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph. It is expected to turn northward, moving west of Bermuda by Tuesday evening, and by Thursday will be well up in the northeast Atlantic Ocean.
Further complicating the forecast is Tropical Depression 9 (TD 9), which is being closely monitored by the National Weather Service.
The Outer Banks can expect from Hurricane Humberto several days of prolonged swells with potentially damaging impacts similar to the recent out-to-sea Hurricane Erin that passed by the OBX for several days around Aug. 20, causing road closings and suspension of the ferry service for several days.
Dangerous rip currents on the Outer Banks will be present all week. Beach walkers should be wary of the high surf and possible life-threatening rogue waves.
Travelers should prepare this week for possible disruptions to ferry service and severe overwash on NC 12, especially around high tides at the north end of Ocracoke, Hatteras village, Buxton and Pea Island. Soundside flooding could impact Ocracoke village.
The impacts of the swells will hit the Outer Banks beginning Monday and last into Thursday.
Wind gusts on Tuesday are expected to be in the 30-plus mph range, with wave swells 12 to 15 feet.
Conditions will worsen Wednesday and Thursday, with wind gusts up to 40 to 50 mph and swells 15 to 20 feet.
The amount of rainfall may depend on the tracking direction of TD 9 which is expected to become Tropical Storm Imelda. It will deliver tropical conditions to portions of the central and northwestern Bahamas through Sunday night. Tropical storm conditions are possible along portions of the east coast of central Florida beginning Monday where a tropical storm watch is in effect.
Several tracking models on Saturday indicated that TD 9 would not make a direct hit on land and would veer out to sea around Tuesday, but there was concern that it would stall off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina causing heavy rain and sustained high wave swells and result in flash flooding.
NWS cautioned that although it is too soon to specify the exact location and magnitude of impacts of these two storm systems, residents should closely monitor the latest forecast updates and ensure that they have their hurricane plan in place.
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