Forecasters expect Hurricane Sam to kick up some dangerous surf along the East Coast in the coming days but are growing more confident the powerful storm won’t make landfall.
Sam strengthened again to a powerful Category 4 on Tuesday, centered well offshore in the Atlantic Ocean but still capable of sending dangerous swells and rip currents later this week to the Bahamas, Bermuda and eventually the northeastern U.S. coast.
Sam is about 610 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands and is traveling northwest at 9 mph, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in a morning advisory. Hurricane-force winds were extending outward 40 miles from its center.
Its maximum sustained winds rose again to 130 mph, making it a Category 4 hurricane. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect, and forecasters expected it to remain a major hurricane through late this week as it turns northward on a track that would keep its center well offshore.
ArLuther Lee of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution contributed to this report.
About the Author
The Latest
Featured
