Tropical Storm Irene Could Become a Category 2 Hurricane as it Tracks toward Florida
Emergency management officials in Miami are advising people living in Florida to keep a watchful eye on Irene, this year’s ninth-named tropical storm, this week. Tracking models of National Hurricane Center show the whole state in the five-day cone of error. Irene is predicted to turn into a hurricane by Monday evening, the first one of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season and has a projected course ranging from Florida to North and South Caronlina.
At 11 p.m. Sunday, Irene was located 50 miles in the southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Sustained winds of Irene was 70 mph. Sustained winds of 74 mph is needed to attain category 1 hurricane status, which is forecasted to be achieved for a short period of time by Tropical Storm Irene as it moves over parts of Hispaniola late Monday or early Tuesday. Irene is expected to regain the hurricane status after it emerges off northern Cuba on Wednesday and tracks in the direction of Florida and the Southeast United States on Thursday and over the weekend. Tropical force winds of up to 150 miles extending outward from its center were also recorded.
Latest track maps forecast its movement toward Florida’s east coast. However, official monitoring its course said that it is too early to exactly state where Irene might go. Certain computer models show it to be heading toward south Florida, while others predict it would move along the west coast of the state. The official forecast model shows that the Tropical Storm Irene could reach shores near Cape Canaveral on Thursday night or early Friday. However, they are not absolutely certain about it yet.
Tropical storms like Irene that could become hurricanes can damage and destroy homes as well as other properties. It is quite common for a hurricane to cause severe damages to housing and buildings, which cost millions of dollars in cleanup, repairs and rebuilding. Most structures affected by a hurricane are usually demolished completely and require huge amounts of money for restoration.
Another major impact of a hurricane is the displacement of people whose homes were destroyed by a hurricane. Many people completely lose their homes and most of the times they have to start allover again or be relocated at other places. This has a serious effect on the economy of the affected community.
People residing in the hurricane prone areas must take all the necessary precautions and preventive measures to minimize the damage.
