Less than one day after Hurricane Helenedevastated several states in the Southern U.S., the Atlantic is already home to a new storm.
According to reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Isaac gained strength on Friday, Sept. 27, less than 24 hours after Helene caused flooding and knocked out power for over one million people. The storm began developing into a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean about 1,000 miles from Bermuda, per the Associated Press and USA Today.
Hurricane Isaac has had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and it was traveling about 18 mph east-northeast, per the Hurricane Center.
Isaac, which marks the sixth hurricane that formed in the Atlantic this year, is supposed to strengthen before the weekend, but should taper out by Sunday. The center clarified in a public announcement that no coastal watches or warnings in effect, and the Category 1 hurricane isn’t expected to impact the U.S.
“Swells generated by Isaac and a large wind fetch from a deep-layer trough could spread into the Azores by this weekend,” the organization added in its announcement, referring to the small islands governed by Portugal. “These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”
In addition to Isaac, Tropical Storm Joyce is in the midst of forming in the Atlantic — although NOAA reports that forecasters aren’t expecting this storm to post any threat to land.
Residents across the south are still reeling after Helene, which was ranked as a Category 4 storm when it made landfall around 11:10 p.m. local time on Thursday near Perry, Fla.
In just a matter of hours, the storm created damaging wind gusts as well as “catastrophic, life-threatening, [and] record-breaking” flooding in many areas. Ahead of Helene’s arrival, President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency for Florida on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
Since the height of the storm overnight, Helene has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, per the Hurricane Center.
Flooded streets in Georgia following Hurricane Helene.
Megan Varner/Getty
The Associated Press reported that communities across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina are now in the midst of their recovery efforts. Flooding damage has been reported as far away as northeast Tennessee, where a hospital flood caused patients and doctors to evacuate to the roof of a building to avoid rising water, the outlet said.
Emergency crews have been working nonstop to rescue those in need and at least 40 deaths have been reported across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, according to the Associated Press.
Officials in Florida also warned residents to be careful around floodwater as they can cause “sickness, injury, or even death.”
“If you are trapped and need help please call for rescuers – DO NOT TRY TO TREAD FLOODWATERS YOURSELF,” the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post Friday. “The water can hide animals, live wires, sewage, sharp objects, large debris, and other hazards.”
