Forecasters say Hurricane Florence will strengthen into a major hurricane by Monday as it takes aim at the U.S. East Coast.
Florence had weakened into a tropical storm, but grew back to hurricane strength Sunday as it moved into warmer waters in the southern Atlantic Ocean.
As of late Sunday, Florence was about 1,200 kilometers southeast of Bermuda.
There are numerous tracks the storm could take, including staying out to sea and missing land entirely.
But the National Hurricane Center in Miami predicts it will move between Bermuda and the Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday, and strike the U.S, southeastern coast by Thursday as an "extremely dangerous major hurricane."
Virginia, and North and South Carolina have already declared states of emergency and authorities as far north as New Jersey are warning people along the coast to take precautions.
Even if Florence does not make a direct hit, it could be a slow-moving coastal storm, dumping massive amounts of rain.
Forecasters are also keeping a close eye on two more strong Atlantic storms – Tropical Storm Isaac is expected to develop into a hurricane by late Sunday as it drifts toward the Lesser Antilles and south of Puerto Rico, and Hurricane Helene is forecast to bring heavy rains and life-threatening flash floods to the Cabo Verde Islands.
