Hurricane Kirk strengthened into a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday and is expected to quickly become a major hurricane, forecasters said.
There were no coast guards or warnings in effect and the storm system was not yet considered a threat to land. But forecasters warned on Thursday that “large waves” could hit the US east coast on Sunday.
Kirk reached Category 3 status on Wednesday, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm was located about 1,150 miles east-northeast of the Lesser Antilles with maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour.
It was moving northwest at a speed of 12 km/h. A gradual turn to the northwest and then north was expected this week.
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Swells caused by the storm could hit parts of the Leeward Islands and Bermuda by the weekend, likely causing “life-threatening” surf and current conditions, the center said.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Leslie formed late Wednesday in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and could strengthen into a hurricane by the weekend, forecasters said.
There were no coast guards or warnings in effect and the storm system was not yet considered a threat to land.
The storm was located 450 miles (700 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of the Cape Verde Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour, the hurricane center said.
The storms came as many people in the southeastern U.S. still lacked running water, cell phone service and electricity as rescuers searched for missing people. Hurricane Helene struck last week and left a trail of death and catastrophic damage.
More than 180 people died one of the deadliest storms in American history. At least 186 deaths were confirmed in multiple states as of Thursday morning, according to a CBS News count.
President Biden traveled to the Carolinas on Wednesday for an aerial view of the widespread damage caused by the storm. Vice President Kamala Harris was in Georgia to receive updates on the emergency response to the devastating storm there.
