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Triple Threat Of Storms Heading Toward State

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 2, 2008

TAMPA - Hanna, Ike and Josephine, the conga line of storms in the Atlantic Ocean, could keep Florida on edge into next week.

The first of the tropical trio, Tropical Storm Hanna, is on a path dangerously close to Florida's east coast. That storm could bring tropical storm-force winds to some parts of the coast as early as sunset Thursday, said Ben Nelson, state meteorologist.

Hanna's approach to the coast may also require posting a hurricane watch for part of the state's east coast, meaning hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours of when the watch is issued.

Under the latest forecast, the Tampa Bay area is at the edge of the cone of possible strike zones, and there is a 20 percent to 30 percent chance the region could see winds of more than 39 mph in five days.

The National Hurricane Center said Hanna has weakened during its drive over the Bahamas but should begin strengthening and become a hurricane by Thursday.

Forecasters expect Hanna to make a turn toward the northwest but cannot pin down when. The storm is slowly wandering to the southeast at about 2 mph.

The turn is expected to happen today, and the storm should speed up and move toward the U.S. East Coast.

The hurricane center said Hanna is forecast to pass close enough to the coastline that any place from Florida to the Carolinas has about an equal chance to see hurricane-force winds.

It would not take much of a shift in Hanna's track to bring the storm over Florida.

"We're not talking about a hard turn," Nelson said.

The next in line is Tropical Storm Ike, moving roughly west at about 17 mph and expected to reach hurricane strength possibly by early Wednesday morning.

Forecasters don't expect Ike to make much of a turn to the north through Sunday, cruising on the southern edge of an area of high pressure that's dominating the Atlantic Ocean.

That high pressure is expected to expand during the week and keep pushing Ike toward the Bahamas by Saturday or Sunday and growing as it goes with winds forecast to reach 110 mph, or at the top of the Category 2 scale.

If the high pressure expands enough, Ike could move over Cuba or the Florida Keys and into the Gulf of Mexico.

Tropical Storm Josephine, which formed today Tuesday, is far behind Ike and also forecast to weaken by Sunday after reaching minimal hurricane strength by Wednesday or Thursday.

The storm is too distant to tell whether it will come close to Florida.

"We have to deal with Hanna first and then Ike. We've got a lot of tropical troubles," Nelson said.

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7731 or njohnson@tampatribune.com.

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