Forecasters have warned that the Atlantic Ocean has not yet emerged from hurricane season.
The latest forecasts suggested that up to three named storms could occur before November 30, when the storm season normally ends, due to unusually warm ocean temperatures.
There is little risk of direct impacts along the Gulf Coast through Alabama, with a possible route to Florida and along the East Coast.
AccuWeather hurricane expert Alex DaSilva said, “We may even see a tropical storm in December of this year. It doesn’t happen often, but very warm sea surface temperatures could make it possible this year.’
November produces only one Atlantic hurricane every one to two years, with only seven occurring in December since 1851.
“We’ve been saying since March that the hurricane season could be quite active by the end of this year,” DaSilva said.
Late-season tropical storms hitting the U.S. are likely to affect Florida and the East Coast, the meteorologist continued, as the region recovers from the devastation of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
“The entire state of Florida down to the Carolinas could be at risk of experiencing another tropical impact this season,” DaSilva said.
Late-season tropical storms hitting the U.S. are more likely to hit Florida and the East Coast, the meteorologist continued, as the region recovers from the devastation of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
‘This region is already vulnerable after experiencing multiple landfalls earlier this year.
“The western and central coastline of the Gulf of Mexico is unlikely to experience any immediate impacts for the remainder of this hurricane season.”
Helene and Milton left these states deeply vulnerable to another storm as residents pick up the pieces of their homes and communities.
Piles of debris, downed power lines and damaged infrastructure could become projectiles if storm surges and high winds hit an already hurricane-ravaged state.
And the destruction of homes and community buildings could leave people without adequate shelter when the storm hits.
Florida officials estimate that total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Milton is between $160 billion and $180 billion.
In North Carolina, officials estimate that Hurricane Helene caused about $53 billion in damage.
A storm could form in the Atlantic Basin as soon as next week, according to AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno.
“There is a large area of high-pressure development in the northeast that has sent a stalled front south,” he said in a statement.
‘That causes a chain reaction that starts with rain and thunderstorms in the southern Caribbean.’
Hurricane trackers predicted three more storms could form in the Atlantic Ocean, which could follow a similar path to Milton (pictured)
DaSilva said families, businesses, emergency officials and government leaders in the Caribbean islands should be alert to the potential tropical impacts in early November.
“We are already starting to see the first signs of development with showers and thunderstorms in the southern Caribbean,” he continued.
‘As the high-pressure area continues to expand to the north, it will create a very favorable environment for intensification.
‘This could lead to a tropical storm or even a hurricane in the first days of November.
‘We expect very little wind shear and water temperatures are exceptionally warm for this time of year.’
Experts have identified two likely scenarios that could happen if a storm develops the following week.
“Climatology favors a more northerly or northeasterly direction for storms developing in this region in November,” DaSilva explains.
“If a storm develops, it could move over Cuba or Hispaniola and into the open Atlantic Ocean, but we should be mindful of the possibility of any impacts to Florida.
“The high pressure area could potentially prevent a storm from moving out to sea and actually force the storm to turn west toward Florida.”
The second scenario is a western track that uses a high-pressure area to move west to the Yucatán Peninsula.
“If the high pressure area starts to weaken, the storm could turn north,” DaSilva said.
‘There are a lot of moving pieces in this puzzle. If a storm develops, the eventual path will depend on how strong the high-pressure area to the north will be.”