By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist
August 31,2015; 11:01AM,EDT
The combination of Erika and a non-tropical system will drench areas from Florida to the Carolina coast through Tuesday.
Locally torrential downpours will bring the risk of flash and urban flooding in some communities from western Cuba to the Florida Peninsula, the eastern part of the Florida Panhandle, southeastern Georgia, central and southeastern South Carolina and part of eastern North Carolina.
Erika was shredded while trying to cross the large mountainous islands of Hispaniola and Cuba late last week and into Saturday, following significant damage and loss of life in the Caribbean.
Erika has been very difficult to pick out on satellite and radars to start the week. The leftover center appears to be just northwest of the Florida Keys.
According to AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski, Erika was downgraded to a tropical rainstorm over the weekend.
"The remnants of Erika will produce spotty flooding over the coastal sections of the southeastern United States as it drifts northward and merges with a non-tropical low pressure area," Kottlowski said.
Another 1-2 inches of rain are likely to fall in coastal areas of the Southeast states, with local amounts of 4 inches likely. The rainfall is likely to tend to focus along the west coast of Florida and the Carolina coast through Tuesday.
While the risk of gusty winds will be limited to locally strong thunderstorms, some communities could be hit with flash flooding with little notice due to the chaotic nature of the strung-out system.
In addition to the downpours and gusty winds, seas and surf can get rough in the vicinity of the strong thunderstorms. The pattern could produce a couple of waterspouts.
The bulk of the moisture will be pulled northeastward away from the Southeastern states later this week.
RELATED:
When the Next Hurricane Katrina Hits, Is the US Ready?
Hurricane Fred in Atlantic Not Expected to Threaten US
Hurricane Ignacio to Skirt Hawaiian Islands Early This Week
The weather should improve from Florida to the Carolinas. However, some moisture may be left behind in the form of spotty showers and thunderstorms. There is the potential for showers and thunderstorms to flare-up from time to time until any circulation from Erika is well inland.
Very warm and mainly rain-free conditions continue in the Northeast. An area of high pressure will block much of the remaining moisture from moving northward.
"There is a remote chance low pressure area near the Carolina coast may develop and take on tropical characteristics in the vicinity of Bermuda late this week or this weekend," Kottlowski said.
Rainfall Since Saturday Morning, Aug. 29, 2015
Fred, near Africa, will move past the Cape Verde Islands and into the open waters of the Atlantic as the week progresses. Fred is not expected to threaten the U.S.
AccuWeather meteorologists Kristina Pydynowski and Alex Sosnowski contributed content to this story.
No comments:
Post a Comment