Hurricane Humberto and a tropical disturbance to impact the Caribbean and possibly the Southeast US

"MIAMI (AP) Hurricane Humberto formed Friday in the Atlantic Ocean on track to become a major hurricane, while forecasters monitored a nearby tropical disturbance that could bring dangerous weather to the southeastern United States in the coming days. Humberto, with maximum sustained winds of about 90 mph, was rapidly strengthening over the central Atlantic midday Friday, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm was about 450 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands and moving slowly toward the northwest."

"The tropical disturbance has already brought heavy rains in the Dominican Republic on Friday, leading authorities to evacuate hundreds of people and declare a red alert in five provinces. Flooding of rivers, streams, and ravines left dozens of communities cut off by landslides and fallen bridges, including one that collapsed while a truck was crossing, killing the driver in the community of Yamasa."

"Flooding in the southwestern province of Azua, one of the areas most affected by the rains, displaced at least 774 people, and 26 were being sheltered due to the overflowing of the Tabara River, Civil Defense spokesman Jensen Sanchez told The Associated Press. There is considerable uncertainty about the system's track or intensity, but there's a significant risk for impacts from wind, rain and storm surge on the southeastern coast of the United States early next week, forecasters said Friday."

Hurricane Humberto rapidly strengthened over the central Atlantic with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph while moving slowly northwest about 450 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands. Swells from Humberto are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip currents across the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Bermuda. A disorganized tropical disturbance near Hispaniola and eastern Cuba could organize into a tropical depression near the Bahamas over the weekend. Heavy rains in the Dominican Republic prompted evacuations and red alerts in five provinces, causing flooding, landslides and a bridge collapse that killed one person and cut off dozens of communities. Flooding in Azua displaced at least 774 people and left others sheltered. Considerable uncertainty remains about tracks and intensity, but significant risk exists for wind, rain and storm surge along the southeastern U.S. coast early next week, and coastal residents have been urged to prepare.

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