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by ERIN PARROTT
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While Hurricane Humberto rapidly strengthens off the U.S. coast – with forecasters calling for it to be a major hurricane over the weekend – another system showing signs of development could pose a far graver threat to the Carolinas.
This outlet previously reported on Hurricane Gabrielle – the season’s second major storm – which is now a post-tropical cyclone headed toward the coast of Portugal. While Gabrielle won’t batter our mainland, the interplay between Humberto and the second storm – which would be christened Imelda – has storm trackers befuddled.
As of 8:00 a.m. EDT on Friday (September 26, 2025), Imelda remained a “tropical wave” located near Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands and eastern Cuba, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
“An area of low pressure is expected to form along the wave by tonight when it moves near the southeast Bahamas,” forecasters warned. “This low is expected to become a tropical depression when it is in the vicinity of the central and northwest Bahamas over the weekend, and then track northwestward or northward over the southwestern Atlantic.”
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RELATED | ATLANTIC WATERS STIRRING
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The wave has an 80% chance of developing into a tropical storm over the next 48 hours – and a 90% chance of doing so over the next week.
“While there remains considerable uncertainty in the long-range track and intensity of the system, there is a significant risk of wind, rainfall and storm surge impacts for a portion of the southeast U.S. coast early next week,” forecasters warned.
Veteran meteorologist Jim Cantore agreed with that assessment – noting the positioning of the two systems relative to each other when the jet stream begins to steer them will be critical in determining their destinations (and the damage they wind up doing).
“Much uncertainty and low confidence remains,” Cantore wrote on X, referring to the projected paths of both storms.
Cantore cited Tampa Bay-based meteorologist Jeff Berardelli, who described the current situation as “one of the most complex steering scenarios in recent memory’
“Will soon to be Imelda be pulled into the Carolina coast by the cut-off low as many solutions show?” Berardelli mused. “Or will Hurricane Humberto drag Imelda gradually out to sea, as Humberto gets dragged north by the large Greenland jet stream trough? Only time will tell, but folks from Florida’s northeast coast to the Carolinas especially should stay weather aware.”
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As for Humberto, as of 5:00 a.m. AST it was located at latitude 22.2° N longitude 57.3° W – or 465 miles northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands. The system was packing maximum sustained winds near 75 miles per hour with higher gusts – and moving northwest at three miles per hour, per the latest advisory.
“A slow west-northwest to northwest motion is expected during the next couple of days,” forecasters noted.
Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to ten miles from its center of circulation, with tropical storm force winds extended outward for up to 105 miles. Humberto’s central pressure was 990 millibars and falling.
“Significant strengthening is forecast, and Humberto is expected to become a major hurricane this weekend,” forecasters warned.
FITSNews previously reported that forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had called for 13-19 total named storms this season – 6-10 of which were projected to become hurricanes and 3-5 of which were projected to become major hurricanes (i.e. with winds of 111 miles per hour or higher).
Last year, the tropics took forever to get cranked up – but when they did, the damage done was significant. Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, in particular, caused massive destruction – leading to 2024 being the third-costliest season on record (trailing only 2005 and 2017) at $130.4 billion in total losses.
The fallout from Helene continued into 2025, too.
S.C. governor Henry McMaster said his administration is “monitoring the two tropical storms building strength in the Caribbean.”
“Over the weekend, the storm track, speed, and landfall forecast may change quickly,” McMaster warned. “South Carolinians along the coast should immediately start paying attention to weather information and alerts from official sources.”
Keep it tuned to FITSNews as we track Humberto and future Imelda and assess their potential impact on the continental United States.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2025 with a bachelor degree in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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