Weather
Hurricane Maria In Vienna: Updated Likelihood Of Impact
The outer band of Hurricane Maria could affect the Vienna area, but it depends on how close it gets to the coast.
VIENNA, VA—Hurricane Maria is making its way to the Mid Atlantic region after devastating Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean. Whether it affects Vienna and the rest of the DC region is dependent on the path it takes.
As of Monday morning, Hurricane Maria is a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. The deadly eye is not expected to make landfall, but the probable path could come dangerously close to the coast.
The Capital Weather Gang says the outer bands of Maria could drench the DC region with showers Tuesday and Wednesday, if anything. The forecasters call it "unlikely, but not impossible." But given the volatile nature of hurricanes, DC area residents shouldn't consider themselves out of the clear just yet.
Find out what's happening in Viennawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The DC area is in the National Hurricane Center's projected area where tropical-storm-force winds would hit in a worst-case scenario. Most of Virginia would be in the clear if tropical-storm force winds wouldn't hit by Tuesday evening.
“Maria is a large hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles,” the National Weather Service said.
Find out what's happening in Viennawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The coast of North Carolina is under a tropical storm warning as direct impacts to the coast could start Tuesday. Storm surge could be likely for the southern Outer Banks, as well as a portion in the northern end.
The Hampton Roads area could also be affected, especially given North Carolina's warning extends to the Virginia border. The National Weather Service says the area could see minor tidal flooding and windy conditions Tuesday night into Wednesday. Again, it all depends on how close Maria gets to the coast.
Hurricane Maria has resulted in over 30 deaths in the Caribbean, including at least 10 in the hard-hit Puerto Rico. The vicious storm made landfall in Puerto Rico as a Category 4 last week, just over a week after Hurricane Irma battered the Caribbean and Florida.
To see the latest location of Hurricane Maria and advisories, visit the National Hurricane Center's website.
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Images via National Hurricane Center
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