Hurricane season has been extremely active this year! We have watched five hurricanes threaten the Atlantic since the beginning of this season. Lest we forget all of the tropical depressions and tropical storms that typically go hand-in-hand with hurricane season too!
This week, yet another hurricane is reported to make landfall in the Atlantic. Its name is Hurricane Leslie and its arrival will make a total of six tropical cyclones thus far for the season. Unfortunately, we still have a few months left in the 2012 hurricane season and that means that Leslie may not be the only danger to the Atlantic and especially Florida.
At the moment, however, it seems like Hurricane Leslie is ready to cause trouble for Bermuda. On Wednesday, the hurricane reached a peak wind speed of 75 mph. For a point of reference, the typical hurricane has winds of 74 mph which means that Leslie has hit the threshold and is continuing to strengthen. If Leslie continues in this manner, it could quickly become a higher-category hurricane and cause even more damage and devastation.
Forecasters expect Leslie to arrive at Bermuda this weekend where it will cause dangerous—and potentially life-threatening— rip and surf currents. As with any hurricane, Leslie will bring rain, radical winds, and flying debris which could cause a lot of property damage for residents.
Unfortunately, experts can only make predictions as to Hurricane Leslie’s movements and that means that Leslie may or may not change course towards Florida. At this point, it is better to be prepared for Hurricane Leslie than to wait and see where the hurricane will go and then scrambling around to ready your home for the fallout. As always, please protect your family and home in case Leslie is not the only threat to the Atlantic this year and, as the season is still young, there is plenty of opportunity for another big, bad hurricane to threaten your home!
Update: Leslie is 430 miles south-southwest of Bermuda, moving at 2 mph. Sustained winds are at 75 mph; peak winds are at 90 mph. The storm is expected to strengthen more tomorrow.
