It's been a while since the eastern seaboard has been threatened by a tropical system, but over the next few days Emily may do just that. As of Tuesday afternoon, Emily's circulation was located in the Caribbean Sea over very warm waters. This will help the strengthening process in the short term, but then all indications are that Emily will pass near or over the island of Hispaniola. This will help to weaken the storm, possibly substantially due to the lack of water and the high mountains that will interrupt the circulation.

As Emily emerges back into the Atlantic Ocean and moves toward the Bahamas, a slow strengthening trend is likely. This is where the uncertainty continues to mount - where exactly does Emily go when it approaches the Bahamas. Some computer models hug the storm closer to the Florida coastline. Others gradually begin to curve Emily on a more northeastward track that would tug it farther out into the Atlantic. Regardless of the path, Emily will likely have reached hurricane status by this point and indirect impacts will be felt on some east coast beaches by the weekend. Increased surf and rip currents will start affecting beaches near Florida over the weekend and beaches as far north as the Outer Banks may be impacted by the beginning of next week. As the storm continues to evolve and near land, a better handle of the projected path can be expected so check back often for updates!

Speaking of tropical systems, which one has had the greatest impact on you and where were you when it occurred? Post your comments at the bottom of this blog and let's get a tropical conversation going!

Brantley