Tropical Storm Franklin is forecast to become a hurricane as it approaches Bermuda next week, strengthening as it moves north in the open Atlantic waters away from the Dominican Republic.
“Franklin is a pretty big storm. So we are still having questions on exactly where the center of that storm is going to be,” FOX Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin said. “But by sheer size alone, I would watch Bermuda’s forecast very closely for early next week. It’s going to be a Category 2 hurricane, very close.”
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Tropical Storm Franklin is now about 55 miles east-northeast of Grand Turk Island and is moving north at 10 mph. The storm has maximum sustained wind speeds of 50 mph with higher gusts.
While Franklin is not expected to hit the U.S. mainland, big swells are expected to impact the Eastern Seaboard starting as early as Monday and lingering through Labor Day weekend, the FOX Forecast Center said. In addition, dangerous rip currents are forecast for beaches up and down the East Coast through the upcoming work week.
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“We have a couple of troughs in the atmosphere that are digging across the Northeast,” Merwin said. “That’s going to open up this pathway to pull Franklin up to the north and east.”
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By next Wednesday morning, waves off the coast of North Carolina could be 9 to 12 feet, Merwin adds.
“Thankfully, the strongest waves and the biggest waves are going to be out of here by the time we get to Labor Day weekend,” she said. “But if we have this pass too close, and we have some beach erosion ahead of the Labor Day weekend holiday, we could see some minor implications there.”
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The Dominican Republic has been hit hard by deadly floods and landslides caused by the heavy rainfall brought on by Franklin.
One person has died due to flooding in Santo Domingo, with two more missing and hundreds evacuated from their homes. At least six mountain communities experienced tree and power line damage.
There is still a risk for vulnerable areas from the outer bands of Franklin until Thursday, even though the Tropical Storm Warnings for the Dominican Republic have been lifted.