Hurricane Ophelia Gains Strength

MIAMI — Forecasters say Hurricane Ophelia is gaining strength and is expected to pass east of Bermuda.

Late Friday evening, Ophelia had maximum sustained winds near 120 mph (193 kph). The National Hurricane Center in Miami said the center of Ophelia was about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south-southeast of Bermuda, and was moving north at about 17 mph (27 kph). It was expected to speed up and pass east of Bermuda late Saturday.

A tropical storm watch is in effect for Bermuda, where tropical storm force winds are possible starting Saturday afternoon.

Ophelia reached hurricane strength Thursday afternoon and became a Category 3 storm Friday. It is the season's fourth hurricane.

Earlier, Ophelia caused flooding and cut off communities on Dominica.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Philippe remained far from land in the Atlantic.

Comments

[Family Survival Supply]

06:38 PM on 10/03/2011

All hurricanes are horrifying events. If only more people were prepared for a hurricane and knew what to do BEFORE one occurred, there would be less lives lost.

[grumpy63528]

04:34 AM on 10/01/2011

Curious. Why is an incident of a Hurricane listed under the "Green" section of Huff Post? Is this to imply that, somehow, if we all go "Green", there will no longer be hurricanes?

[RickW44]

10:17 PM on 10/02/2011

How do you get that? Mighty big leap there.

[grumpy63528]

01:49 AM on 10/06/2011

Although I replied to this once before and it still hasn't been posted, I'll try it again. How do I get that? I think demonstrated how I got that in the following comment: "Why is an incident of a Hurricane listed under the "Green" section of Huff Post?" And, the way so many global warming alarmists try to connect hurricanes to supposed anthropogenic global warming/climate change? I think it's clear how I "get that".

[mu chowdhury]

03:56 AM on 10/01/2011

Why's there so much fuss about a 3rd grade storm?
After all, Ophelia is not at all a hurricane
of Shakespearean proportion.

[RickW44]

10:19 PM on 10/02/2011

I guess we shouldn't talk about hurricanes, tornados, or violent storm period. It might make someone think "global warming". The "denialist thought police" might come and give us a ticket for threatening "regulation".

[attydallas3]

03:54 AM on 10/01/2011

k, and exactly where is it headed, in relation to the U.S.? That's what people really want to know .. duh!

[Angela Schwartz Mullaney]

01:19 PM on 10/02/2011

If you knew how to read a map, you would know that Bermuda is well over 100 miles off the east coast. If they say it is passing EAST of Bermuda (which is east of the U.S.), then it will not be making landfall in the U.S.
...DUH!

[meman1]

03:38 AM on 10/01/2011

i'm a drop out Meteorologists , i flunked the final test while learning photography, because i could not take a close up photo of the horizon.

[Michael Majdanski]

03:23 AM on 10/01/2011

Boards on the window
Mail by the door
Why would anybody leave so quickly for
Ophelia?
Where have you gone?

[Wesley Ryan]

03:13 AM on 10/01/2011

says see where it is headed. but doesn't say that is helpful.

[padiwagn]

04:54 AM on 10/01/2011

I was thinking the same thing. Where is the storm track? It didn't give any information. 400 miles east of Bermuda doesn't tell us anything. We live in Virginia 10 years and every year it was the same. Tracking storms for 2 weeks, boarding up, taping up, tying down. Nor Easters did more damage where we were than any hurricane. Give us the real story or shut the heck up.

[tjb2021]

02:53 AM on 10/01/2011

The photo clearly states it is of no threat to the United States.

[et235]

02:44 AM on 10/01/2011

I was so busy reading all these moronic responses that I forgot what the article was about!

[Lynnbrown45]

02:12 AM on 10/01/2011

Hmm looks to me like the east coast is going to see it again.......SC, NC etc

[Oh Johnny]

01:01 PM on 10/01/2011

These are the punishments to the Carolina's for for being such right wing backward stares.

[TRene11]

02:04 PM on 10/01/2011

Or a punishment for your poor grammar.

[Lynnbrown45]

06:56 PM on 10/01/2011

O come on -- Let's not wish this type of thing on them-- for that matter not on anyone lets all just try to get along. Have a good one !!

[wclark3350]

01:41 AM on 10/01/2011

Why are there so many posts here that have nothing to do with hurricanes? Politics? Religion? I will stick with science, thank you.

[fierro77]

01:23 AM on 10/01/2011

if the eye hits the white house I bet obama and his cronies still won't get it.

[IMOPINIONH8D]

10:30 AM on 10/01/2011

Get what ??? Wet?

[jeffreyostevens]

12:21 AM on 10/01/2011

There's also a huge storm on Saturn....

[attydallas3]

03:58 AM on 10/01/2011

Better there than on uranus!

[IMOPINIONH8D]

10:32 AM on 10/01/2011

Every now and then one blows through.......uranus.

[NoOneElse]

11:59 PM on 09/30/2011

All hurricanes are bad, no matter where they hit land. They all are very powerful storms and most often kill. Whether you are in Florida and a seasoned veteran of these monsters or on the east coast where they do not blow as often, they should still be respected, planned for, and the proper precations taken. Only a cat 3, (sarcasim) Winds 100 miles an hour are not to be ignored! With any luck both of these storms will stay out over the ocean.

[mightybenskeeter]

11:48 PM on 09/30/2011

I think that particular hurricain is after a certain political area. After all, they are named after women and the wild behavior is similar to that of a ticked woman after being lied to over and over.

[quicksilver55]

03:47 AM on 10/01/2011

Where have you been for the last 20 or so years? There have been many hurricanes with male names that have been extremely powerful and destructive - David, Mitchell, Andrew... They stopped naming them with just women's names a long time ago.

[luftkopf74]

04:11 AM on 10/01/2011

in fact, after this one will be a male, then woman, then male.