AccuWeather meteorologists are closely monitoring a tropical rainstorm that threatens Puerto Rico and Hispaniola with life-threatening flooding and mudslides later this week. Following Hurricane Milton’s destruction across Florida, concerns now shift to the Caribbean, where mountainous terrain in Puerto Rico and Hispaniola could experience up to 20 inches of rain.
AccuWeather experts highlighted that a strong area of high pressure over the eastern U.S. will prevent Florida from being directly impacted by this storm.
However, persistent onshore winds will create hazardous conditions along the Atlantic coast, including rough surf, rip currents, and beach erosion, stretching from South Florida to Georgia.
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“We have been tracking a tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa earlier this month,” said AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva. “This feature has been showing some signs of organization in recent days but could be entering a much more favorable area for tropical development this week as it nears the Leeward Islands in the northeastern Caribbean. It is possible for the feature to ramp up quickly to a tropical depression, tropical storm, or even a hurricane as its core approaches or passes near the Leeward Islands late this week. Farther west, the system is expected to re-enter an area of more hostile conditions that can prevent further strengthening and organization for a time.”
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Flooding Expert Alex Sosnowski says a strong area of high pressure over the eastern United States will help steer this storm away from the Southeast coast and prevent rain and wind impacts from reaching Florida, yet it will cause hazardous conditions along Atlantic beaches and coastal areas starting Wednesday through next Tuesday.
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“This area of high pressure is providing Florida with protection from tropical systems brewing to the south, but it’s also creating hazards along the coast in the Southeast,” explained Sosnowski. “This area of high pressure over the East Coast is strengthening. That clockwise circulation is going to create an easterly flow that could last for a week or longer for locations to its south. These persistent onshore winds will push ocean waters toward the Atlantic coast. Some areas will be dealing with above-normal tide, coastal flooding at high tide, and significant beach erosion. This push of wind and water against the east coast of Florida will make it tough for these swollen rivers to recede.”
Hurricane Milton slammed Florida just two weeks after Hurricane Helene’s landfall. AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Helene in the United States is between $225 billion and $250 billion.
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The preliminary damage estimate from Milton ranges between $160 billion and $180 billion, while Helene caused an estimated $225 billion to $250 billion in losses. Tornadoes from both hurricanes have compounded the destruction, with 45 tornado reports so far, including several powerful EF3 tornadoes that caused significant loss of life and property damage.
“Hurricane Milton brought destructive impacts across Florida. This will go down as one of the most costly and destructive hurricanes in Florida’s history,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter. “We saw an extremely unusual and intense tornado outbreak in the tropical rainbands. Beach towns along the Gulf Coast that were just starting to recover from storm surge damage from Hurricane Helene were hit with storm surge and destructive winds again by Hurricane Milton. The heavily populated areas of Tampa, Orlando, and Daytona Beach faced damaging wind gusts and flooding rain. So many people across Florida have lost so much, they’re going to need a lot of help. The recovery process from these back-to-back hurricanes will take years in some places. AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from Milton and Helene will cost more than $400 billion.”
As Florida faces ongoing river flooding in the wake of these back-to-back storms, recovery is expected to take years.
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