When Hurricane Arthur made landfall on the North Carolina coast last weekend, it was the strongest hurricane to strike the United States since Hurricane Ike hit Texas in 2008. The storm was downright impressive visually, and these gifs document the latent beauty of nature's power.
Have you ever been so desperate for ratings that you almost got swept away by a hurricane's storm surge, then a couple of hours later chased down a woman in labor and tried to climb into the National Guard truck in which she was giving birth? If not, then you're not a reporter for The Weather Channel.
New Bedford, Massachusetts is under a rare "flash flood emergency" this evening as Hurricane Arthur dropped more than six inches of rain over the city in just a couple of hours. Even though forecasts called for heavy rain, the intensity and amount of rainfall that occurred (and is ongoing) came as a surprise.
While almost all of the coverage of Hurricane Arthur in both the American and global media focused on the storm's impact on North Carolina, the storm is still churning in the Atlantic and it has its sights set on Atlantic Canada.
Hurricane Arthur just made landfall in Cape Lookout, North Carolina as a category two with winds of 100 MPH. Cape Lookout measured a sustained wind of 77 MPH a little while ago. The storm will rake the Outer Banks as it heads northeast through early tomorrow. This is the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Ike in 2008.
Hurricane Arthur is creeping closer to the North Carolina coast at this hour, with winds of more than 90 MPH hanging just a few dozen miles offshore. The system is expected to strengthen to category 2 status with 105 MPH winds over the next day as it pounds the Outer Banks.
Tropical Storm Arthur is on the verge of becoming a hurricane at this hour, with winds of 70 MPH. Hurricane warnings are now in effect for coastal North Carolina from Surf City, N.C. northward to Duck, N.C. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for coastal areas from South Santee River, S.C. to Surf City, N.C. and from Duck, N.C. to Cape Charles Light, Virginia.
Hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings are in effect as Tropical Storm Arthur continues to gather organization and strength as it swirls towards the Carolina coast. Meteorologists expect it Arthur hit coastal North Carolina as a hurricane with winds around 80 MPH on Thursday night.
The first tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season formed off the Florida coast last night, and the system is going to skim the east coast of the United States before heading out to sea next weekend. Even though the worst weather will affect mostly the Outer Banks, it could still have a dangerous impact on the beaches this holiday weekend.
Here's the 2PM advisory on Tropical Storm Arthur. The National Hurricane Center expects the system to turn into category 1 hurricane with 80 MPH winds when it hits North Carolina's Outer Banks on Friday. High winds, high surf, 3-5 inches of rain, and a minor storm surge are the main hazards.
After days of the storm flirting with death or development, the National Hurricane Center pulled the trigger and started issuing advisories on newly-formed Tropical Depression One off the Florida coast. The year's first tropical cyclone in the Atlantic will approach the coastal Carolinas later this week with winds approaching hurricane force.
It's a simple message, and it comes from the heart: if you live in the southeastern United States, prepare a potential hit by Tropical Storm or even Hurricane Arthur later this week. Given the amount of tourists on Carolina beaches for the holiday weekend, it's probably the worst time of the year for a storm to threaten.
Right on schedule, the Atlantic hurricane season looks like it may produce the year's first tropical system off the southeastern coast of the United States this week. The National Hurricane Center gives the system a high 60% chance of developing over the next five days.
