Hurricane Kirk strengthened into a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday and is expected to quickly strengthen into a major hurricane, forecasters said.
There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect, and the storm system was not yet considered a threat to land. But forecasters warned Thursday that “strong swells” could reach the U.S. East Coast by Sunday.
Kirk reached Category 3 status on Wednesday, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm occurred about 1,150 miles east-northeast of the Lesser Antilles with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.
It was moving northwest at 12 mph. A gradual turn towards the north-northwest then towards the north was expected this week.
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Swells generated by the storm could affect parts of the Leeward Islands and Bermuda by the weekend, likely causing “life-threatening” wave and rip current conditions, the center said.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Leslie formed Wednesday evening in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and could strengthen into a hurricane by the weekend, forecasters said.
There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect, and the storm system was not yet considered a threat to land.
The storm was located 490 miles southwest of the southernmost tip of the Cape Verde Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, the hurricane center said.
The storms formed as many people in the southeastern United States still lacked running water, cell phones and electricity as rescuers searched for the missing. Hurricane Helene hit last week and left a trace of death and catastrophic damage.
More than 180 people died one of the deadliest storms in the history of the United States. At least 186 people were confirmed dead in several states as of Thursday morning, according to a CBS News tally.
President Biden traveled to the Carolinas Wednesday for an aerial tour of the extensive damage caused by the storm. Vice President Kamala Harris was in Georgia to receive updates on the emergency response to the devastation caused by the storm.
