National Hurricane Center
Hurricane Maria is a very powerful storm in the Caribbean, heading over several islands as a Category 4, with winds topping 130 mph. Maria will be dropping well over a foot of water in several islands in Dominica, Antigua, St. Maarten, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. But will Maria impact the state of Florida?
The latest map from the National Hurricane Center shows Maria curving north before getting to Cuba, not setting the state of Florida in her sights. While Florida is still technically in the “cone of uncertainty,” Maria’s latest projected track could keep her away from the Sunshine State altogether.
The latest European models (which many believe are the most dependable), show Maria steering clear of Florida — and of the United States as a whole. Although this could change, the 2 a.m. Euro run takes Maria out to sea, keeping her well offshore just before she reaches Cuba. Check out the map below.
The Euro model Ensembles are very encouraging this morning on Maria. We’ll keep watching.
At this time, however it’s just way too soon to tell what Maria is going to do. If you remember back to Hurricane Irma earlier this month, her exact track wasn’t clear until she was upon Florida. She made a couple of unexpected jogs that took her right through the center of the state, bringing nasty weather to both coasts.
“Whether Maria will ever pose an East Coast threat will depend on steering currents in the upper atmosphere over the western Atlantic Ocean and the eastern United States that cannot be pinned down more than a week in advance. Interestingly, the potential for Jose to stall off the Northeast coast this weekend could play some role in determining Maria’s long-term future path. Also, if Maria interacts with the higher terrain of Puerto Rico and/or Hispañola, that could also affect its future track and intensity,” reports The Weather Channel.
Floridians are prepared and are currently in a holding pattern when it comes to Maria. While much of this is “watch and wait,” the latest models are definitely encouraging.
