NEW: John Ghiorse’s Hermine Update

Saturday, September 03, 2016

Things are rather peaceful around Southern New England as we start the Labor Day weekend, but probably not for long. Once Hurricane and now what the Hurricane Center has labelled Post-Tropical Cyclone Hermine continues its long, slow journey up the east coast from its birthplace in the Gulf of Mexico. 

As of this afternoon it is centered about 50 miles off the North Carolina coast and moving slowly ENE with top winds just below hurricane force. The National Hurricane Center has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts from Providence south and east through New Bedford and out over Cape Cod and the Islands.

Hermine should continue to move very slowly northeast and eventually either stop or loop with an erratic track about 100-150 south of Block Island late tomorrow into Labor Day on Monday. It is then projected to drift slowly eastward on Tuesday and Wednesday and may finally be out of our hair by Thursday. That is the current thinking and, of course, could well need adjustment as the storm progresses. Winds in Hermine could intensify to hurricane force as it drifts over or near the Gulf Stream during the next couple of days.

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What does it mean for us? Well, almost certainly slowly deteriorating weather as the weekend progresses, especially on our coastal waters, at the shore and on the beaches. Rain may appear late tomorrow or tomorrow night near the coast. Winds may increase in gusts over 50 mph in those areas later tomorrow, through Labor Day into Tuesday. There could well be very large waves, coastal flooding and resulting severe coastal and beach erosion. Away from the coast look for clouds, some rain and gusty wind from late tomorrow through the holiday on Monday. All in all a rather nasty way to end what has been, for the most part, a terrific summer vacation season.

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