Hurricane Lee Could Become Category 5 Storm: What It Means For MD

MARYLAND ? Although early forecasts say Hurricane Lee could miss landfall on the East Coast this weekend, weather experts say Maryland and neighboring coastal states could be in for dangerous surf and rip currents. Ahead of the hurricane, the state has a chance for strong thunderstorms to develop Thursday.

The storm has rapidly intensified Thursday and was a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph maximum sustained winds with higher gusts, the National Hurricane Center's reported in its 11 a.m. advisory.

A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 9 p.m. Thursday for Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's counties, plus the city of Baltimore, the National Weather Service said.

As Hurricane Lee travels over the warm waters of the Caribbean, the hurricane is expected to strengthen and potentially become a "catastrophic" Category 4 or 5 hurricane, said the NHC. Category 5 strength means the storm would have sustained winds greater than 157 mph.

AccuWeather predicted that Lee will strengthen into a Category 5 hurricane this weekend, and could affect Eastern Seaboard beaches next week by causing "rough surf and seas" and dangerous rip currents.

Like the weather service, AccuWeather said Lee will likely not directly impact the Southeast or mid-Atlantic states.

?Lee poses a risk to people from the northern Caribbean to the eastern Bahamas, the east coast of the United States, Bermuda and Atlantic Canada over the next week to 10 days," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said in a news release.

Although the hurricane is still heading west-northwest, weather officials said the hurricane took slight jog to the north, which could mean that Lee will have little direct impact on the United States.

Located about 870 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands, Hurricane Lee is churning in a west-northwest direction at 15 mph with hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 25 miles from the hurricane's center and tropical storm-force winds extending up to 90 miles.

"Lee will likely become a major hurricane later today and is forecast to remain a very strong major hurricane through the weekend," said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration lead meteorologist David Zelinsky.

On the forecast track, the core of Lee will move north of the northern Leeward Islands
during the next few days, with rapid intensification expected Thursday night, he said.

The waters in the Atlantic are not quite as warm as the Gulf of Mexico, which fed Hurricane Idalia last week. But, sea-surface temperatures across the portion of the Atlantic Ocean that Lee is set to track through are still 3.6 degrees above normal after rising to ?far above record levels? this summer, David Zierden, Florida?s state climatologist, told CNN.

?To get to Category 4 or 5 intensity the environment has to be nearly perfect, which it looks like is the forecast for Lee,? Zierden told CNN.

Related:

• Hurricane Lee Likely To Be 'Extremely Dangerous Major' Storm: NHC
• Experts Predict Above-Average Hurricane Season In Final Forecast
• Hurricane Idalia Slams Into FL's Big Bend: 'Unprecedented Event'
• Never Been Through A Florida Hurricane? Here's What You Should Know

A path to the north of the Leeward Islands is good news for Florida and the Carolinas, which are still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Idalia last week. Idalia made landfall in Florida's Big Bend area on the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane and proceeded north into Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, causing significant flooding.

Although there are no watches or warnings in effect in the Caribbean islands at this time, the predicted slower motion toward the west-northwest forecast over the weekend could cause large swells to reach the Lesser Antilles on Friday, and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Bahamas and Bermuda on Saturday and Sunday.

Measuring Hurricane Winds On Saffir-Simpson Scale

Hurricanes are measured 1 to 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. While the scale makes references to wind speed, it?s really concerned with the type of damage that winds at particular speeds will create ? in other words, intensity, which is not always a direct link to wind speed.

Category 1: Sustained winds of 74-95 mph. ?Very dangerous winds will produce some damage.? A Category 1 hurricane could destroy older mobile homes and damage newer ones and poorly built houses. Well-built homes could have damage to shingles, siding, gutters and soffit panels.

Category 2: Sustained winds of 96-110 mph. ?Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage.??Substantial risk of injury or death to people, livestock and pets.? Mobile homes built before 1994 will probably be destroyed, as will some newer ones, and some poorly built homes. Near total power loss expected.

Category 3: Sustained winds of 111-129 mph. ?Devastating damage will occur.? Poorly built frame homes will be wrecked. Unprotected windows will be broken by flying debris. Well-built homes will be damaged, older metal buildings will fail.

Category 4: Sustained winds of 130-156 mph. ?Catastrophic damage will occur.?Well-built homes will lose or suffer damage to most of their roofs and exterior walls. Top floors of apartment buildings will be damaged, and fallen trees and wires will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks or months, and most of the area will be uninhabitable.

Category 5: Sustained winds greater than 157 mph. A high percentage of frame homes will be destroyed with total roof failure and wall collapse. Nearly all trees will be snapped or uprooted. Power outages will last for weeks or months, and most of the area will be uninhabitable.