(Reuters) – Hurricane Lee barreled toward the Caribbean on Friday after intensifying into a dangerous Category 5 storm as forecasters attempted to pinpoint where it will make landfall – if at all.
Below are some details about the storm and its possible impact.
How powerful is Hurricane Lee?
Lee is packing maximum sustained winds of 165 miles (265 km) per hour, making it a Category 5 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which is based on a storm’s sustained wind speed. Category 5 hurricanes are the most powerful on the scale with minimum wind speeds of 157 mph.
What is Hurricane Lee’s potential?
If Hurricane Lee makes landfall as a Category 5, it could cause catastrophic damage and destroy a high percentage of framed homes. It would also take down powerlines and trees, according to the National Weather Service. A storm like this could cause weeks-long electrical outages and make the area it hits uninhabitable for weeks if not longer.
Where is Lee and where is it headed?
Lee is currently in the Atlantic Ocean and about 600 miles (965 km) east of the Northern Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Sea. Along its current west by northwest path, Lee is expected to move well north of the Leeward Islands, Virginia Islands and Puerto Rico this weekend and early next week.
What does the forecast say could happen with Lee?
Dangerous surf and rip currents are in the forecast for the U.S. East Coast beginning on Sunday. But the National Hurricane Center said on Friday that it is “way too soon to know” the level of impact, if any, the storm could have on the U.S., Canada and Bermuda.
How has the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season shaped up so far?
Lee adds to a busy hurricane season that has thus far set a pace above average on several measures, including named storms, named storm days and major hurricane days, Colorado State University meteorologist Philip Klotzbach said.
(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Chicago; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
