Hurricane Jerry Forms In Atlantic As Humberto Spins Off

MIAMI, FL — Hurricane Jerry formed in the Atlantic Thursday as Humberto began to spin off after whipping Bermuda and causing widespread power outages.

Jerry is expected to travel northeast of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. It is also expected to remain well off the eastern coast of the Florida peninsula but could pose a threat to Bermuda sometime next week.

"Jerry is moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph (26 km/h). A west-northwest to northwest motion at a decreasing forward speed is expected over the next few days," the National Hurricane Center said at 5 a.m. Friday. "On the forecast track, the center of Jerry will move north of the northern Leeward Islands later today, pass well north of Puerto Rico on Saturday, and be well east-northeast of the southeastern Bahamas on Sunday."

Jerry was packing maximum sustained winds near 105 mph with higher gusts as of 5 a.m. Friday.

"A gradual weakening trend is forecast to begin later today, but Jerry is expected to remain a hurricane during the next few days," according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the
center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles.

Meanwhile, Humberto passed within about 75 miles of Bermuda with hurricane-strength winds on Wednesday but did not pose a direct threat to the southeast United States.

The storm blew off rooftops, toppled trees and knocked out power as it blew past the British Atlantic island of Bermuda. But officials said Thursday that the Category 3 storm caused no reported deaths.

“We’ve made it through and everyone is safe,” Premier David Burt said. “That’s what is most important.”

Even as the storm moves away, Humberto may continue to create dangerous surf and rip conditions along the U.S. coastline, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Jerry was located about 290 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands as of 5 a.m. Friday.

Weather forecasters said Humberto was moving north, northeastward over the cold waters of the north Atlantic.

Hurricane Humberto was still packing sustained winds of 105 mph as of 5 p.m. Thursday.

"The post-tropical cyclone is moving toward the north-northeast near 20 mph ... A slower north-northeastward motion is expected tonight and Friday," the National Hurricane Center said late Thursday night in its final planned advisory for Humberto. "A turn toward the east-northeast is expected to commence by Friday night."

The National Hurricane Center also said that remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda was carrying maximum sustained winds near 15 mph as of 5 p.m. Thursday. The storm made landfall near Freeport, Texas, on Tuesday.

"The remnants are moving toward the west-northwest near 3 mph," the National Hurricane Center said at 5 p.m. Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.