Tropical weather in the Atlantic is slamming the Caribbean and may strike Southeast US next

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MIAMI (AP) — Dangerous tropical weather brewed Friday in the Atlantic Ocean with Humberto intensifying into a major Category 3 hurricane and a system forecasters dubbed “Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine” striking the Caribbean and taking aim at the Southeast United States.

Hurricane Humberto had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph), the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. Humberto was expected to keep strengthening over the next several days and churned Friday afternoon about 430 miles (690 kilometers) northeast of the northern Leeward Islands.

Humberto could produce life-threatening surf and rip currents for the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Bermuda over the weekend, forecasters said.

Meanwhile, a tropical storm warning associated with Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine was issued for the Central Bahamas. The center of the tropical disturbance was about 55 miles (90 kilometers) north-northwest of the eastern tip of Cuba, forecasters said. It had top winds of 35 mph (55 kph). A tropical storm watch was issued for portions of the northwestern Bahamas.

The hurricane center said the potential cyclone was likely to become a tropical depression — the next name in the alphabet would be Imelda — on Saturday. By Sunday, it could be a tropical storm.

The forecast put the system on track to approach the Southeast U.S. over the weekend and into early next week.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency over the storm Friday evening saying while there was uncertainty, the state needed to prepare. The declaration allows state emergency officials to begin coordination with local and federal governments and assures people will be eligible for federal aid.

Earlier in the day, crews in Charleston, South Carolina, were getting sandbags together, checking high water vehicles and preparing pumps to get any floodwater out of the city.

“Even though this has not formed yet, we are treating it as if we are expecting some kind of impact. That’s critical. We don’t want to downplay the scenario,” Chief Fire Marshal Michael Julazadeh said at an emergency Charleston City Council meeting.

The tropical disturbance has already brought heavy rains in the Dominican Republic on Friday, leading authorities to evacuate hundreds of people and declare a red alert in five provinces. Flooding of rivers, streams, and ravines left dozens of communities cut off by landslides and fallen bridges, including one that collapsed while a truck was crossing, killing the driver in the community of Yamasá.

Flooding in the southwestern province of Azua, one of the areas most affected by the rains, displaced at least 774 people, and 26 were being sheltered due to the overflowing of the Tábara River, Civil Defense spokesman Jensen Sánchez told The Associated Press.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency urged residents of coastal areas in the Southeast U.S. on Thursday to pay attention as that weather system continues to develop, saying its staff “is ready to respond swiftly, if needed.”

In the eastern Atlantic, the center of post-tropical cyclone Gabrielle moved away from the Azores. A hurricane warning for the entire Portuguese archipelago was discontinued. On Friday afternoon, the storm was about 245 miles (395 kilometers) east-northeast of Lajes Air Base in the Azores. The hurricane center stopped issuing advisories for the system.

Some strengthening was forecast through Friday night, with weakening expected over the weekend, and Gabrielle was expected to approach the Portugal’s coast by early Sunday. Swells expected to produce life-threatening surf and rip currents were expected to reach Portugal, northwestern Spain and northern Morocco on Saturday.

In the Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Narda was churning about 920 miles (1,485 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California and heading west-northwest at 13 mph (20 kph). The Category 1 storm was expected to maintain its strength on Friday before weakening over the weekend.

Swells generated by Narda were affecting coastal Mexico and Baja California Sur, forecasters said. The swells that could bring life-threatening surf and rip current conditions were expected to reach southern California over the weekend.

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The story has been updated to correct that Hurricane Narda is in the Pacific Ocean, not the Atlantic.