Hurricane Ike Projected Path Heads for the Drenched Bahamas

After a very slow start this hurricane season, the storms just keep on coming one after another. Hurricane Fey and Gustav were able to become almost as talked about as the political conventions. Now as Gustav begins to winds down and Hanna is on its way, a fourth straight powerful hurricane is on the way. But Hurricane Ike may turn out to be even more worrisome than Fey, Gustav or Hanna. Already, Hurricane Ike has become a Category 4 hurricane as it heads through the Atlantic Ocean. Although Hurricane Ike may not be that powerful by the time it makes land, Hurricane Ike could still provide one more crisis.

Hurricane Ike became a Category 4 storm over the Atlantic Ocean early Thursday. Ike's wind are now up to a maximum of 215 kilometers, or 135 mph. But Hurricane Ike is still far away from land, as its center is 980 kilometers, or 610 miles, northeast of the Leeward Islands. Experts at the National Hurricane Center say it is still too early to tell what, if any, land areas could be hit by Hurricane Ike.

If Hurricane Ike stays strong, it could hit the already beleaguered Bahamas by Monday. The Bahamas are already facing the wrath of Tropical Storm Hanna, as it wrecks havoc on islands already hit by Fey and Gustav. In the ravaged country of Haiti, at least 61 more people are dead from the storm's conditions.

On the current track of Hurricane Ike, it could reach the Turks and Caicos Islands early next week, while still maintaining a Category 4 strength. In this recent string of hurricanes, only Hurricane Gustav had really threatened to reach that high while making landfall.

Tropical Storm Hanna may avoid Florida and head for the Carolina. But Florida may still have to watch out for Hurricane Ike. South Florida is potentially one of the areas that could get hit, according to the five-day weather forecast cone of Hurricane Ike- though there are wide margins of error. By Wednesday, some form of Hurricane Ike could get close to Florida, although it is not clear if it would be degraded a few categories by then.

Even as Hurricane Ike begins to cause concern, still another storm front is following it. Tropical Storm Josephine is over the far eastern Atlantic, but it is beginning to lose strength and decrease to maximum winds of 60 mph.

Sources

Miami Herald- "Ike gets huge as Hanna turns towards Carolinas" www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/671633.html

AFP- "Ike strengthens to dangerous Category Four hurricane" afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jVV8_xtfjel91_V95qSEn5YGiMVQ