Invest 94-L Forms with Potential to Become Hurricane Imelda

A tropical wave in the Atlantic Ocean is forming with the potential to become a named hurricane. The National Hurricane Center is monitoring what’s currently known as Invest 94-L, a system in the southwest Atlantic Ocean. If it turns into a major named storm, that formation could become Hurricane Imelda.

As of Friday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) projects a 90% chance that the system develops into a tropical depression within the next week. Its formation appears to be occurring in the vicinity of eastern Cuba and the southeastern Bahamas, the NHC says.

“Gradual development of this system is expected, and it will likely become a tropical depression during the next day or so while it moves northwestward or northward across the central and northwestern Bahamas,” the NHC said on Friday.

Fortunately for Floridians, it does presently appear that Invest 94-L has its sights set to do damage to the state’s Atlantic coast. The NHC is forecasting ‘heavy rains and gusty winds’ for the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, and Cuba. Most models have the storm moving north parallel to Florida’s eastern coast.

Still, the chances are high that Florida will experience some of the effects of the storm. WESH meteorologist Tony Mainolfi reported data that winds could reach 10 to 15 miles per hour on Tuesday, with half an inch to an inch of rainfall. Waves in Flagler, Volusia, and Brevard counties are projected to reach three feet on Saturday and eventually grow to eleven feet by Tuesday.

The Flagler County Emergency Management Department is forecasting rain of one to one and a half inches on Friday and Saturday, with possible localized areas with higher totals. With October as National Preparedness Month, the agency stresses that residents ensure their emergency kits are in order before a major storm impacts the area.