Tropical Storm Florence Forms
Pastor Dale Morgan
Tropical Storm Florence Forms
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Tuesday September 5, 2006 8:46 PM
By JENNIFER KAY
Associated Press Writer
MIAMI (AP) - Tropical Storm Florence formed Tuesday in the open
Atlantic, becoming the sixth named storm of the 2006 hurricane season,
and was likely to grow.
Florence had top sustained wind near 40 mph, 1 mph over the 39 mph
threshold for a tropical storm, and it was expected to slowly intensify
to hurricane strength, according to the National Hurricane Center.
``Our forecast does have it becoming a hurricane by Friday morning -
minimal hurricane, Category 1,'' said Mark Willis, a meteorologist at
the hurricane center.
Hurricanes have sustained wind of at least 74 mph; Category 1 storms
have top sustained wind of up to 95 mph.
It was still too early to tell if it would hit the United States, Willis
said.
At 11 a.m. EDT, the storm was centered 935 miles east of the Lesser
Antilles and was moving west at about 12 mph, forecasters said. Its
tropical storm-force wind extended 115 miles from its center.
Florence developed at the peak of the hurricane season over warm
Atlantic water, the source of energy for storm development, Willis said.
``It's nothing like we saw last year, but the waters are still warm
enough to favor tropical storms and hurricanes and intensification,''
Willis said.
The storm follows on the heels of Tropical Storm Ernesto, which was
briefly the season's first hurricane before hitting Florida and North
Carolina last week as a tropical storm.
At least nine deaths have been attributed to Ernesto, and the
aftereffects were still being felt Tuesday with about 60,000 people -
some 15,000 homes and businesses - remaining without power in New York's
Westchester County.
In Huntington, N.Y., a tree that was believed to be about 550 years old
was weakened by the storm and fell Sunday. It was believed to be the
oldest black oak in North America and once stood 90 feet high.
In North Carolina, the overflowing Northeast Cape Fear River began to
recede Monday, although forecasters said it probably would not be back
to its normal level until the end of the week. About 140 people were
evacuated in Duplin and Pender counties.
Last year's Atlantic storm season set a record with 28 named storms and
15 hurricanes, including Katrina, which devastated the Louisiana and
Mississippi coasts.
The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season has not been as rough as initially
feared. The National Hurricane Center lowered its Atlantic storms
forecast in August to between 12 and 15 named storms and seven to nine
hurricanes. Forecaster William Gray downgraded his expectations for the
season Friday to 13 named storms and five hurricanes, which would be a
slightly below-average season.
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On the Net:
Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/