After Tropical Storm Florence strengthened to a hurricane Sunday morning, the National Weather Service is urging Floridians not to let their guard down yet.
The storm, which is currently brewing in the southwest Atlantic, is expected to become a category three or higher hurricane in the next 12 to 24 hours, said meteorologist Scott Cordero, of the National Weather Service in Jacksonville. Although it’s predicted to make landfall late Thursday in North Georgia, the storm could hit as far south as Fernandina Beach, Florida, Cordero said.
“Our preliminary thinking is basically, we’re not out of the woods yet for Florida,” he said.
Gainesville residents may not have to brace for a direct hit but should stay vigilant in the coming days, Cordero said.
Right now, Florence has maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour and is moving west at 6 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm is expected to pass between the Bahamas and Bermuda late Tuesday and early Wednesday, Cordero said. It should become a major hurricane as it approaches Georgia.
Contact Jessica Giles at jgiles@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter at @jessica_giles_.
Hurricane Florence is brewing in the Atlantic Ocean, followed by tropical storms Isaac and Helene.
