- Sam on Friday morning became the season’s seventh hurricane and 18th named storm.
- It strengthened over open Atlantic waters and was forecast to become a major hurricane by Friday night or Saturday.
- Forecasters say it’s still too early to tell how it will impact land, but urge residents along the US East Coast to monitor the system.
Sam strengthened into a hurricane over open Atlantic waters early Friday morning and could become a major storm by Friday night or Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Sam was located about 1,470 miles east-southeast of the Leeward Islands or 2,673 miles east of West Palm Beach as of 5 a.m. EDT Friday. The storm was moving west at 15 mph. The system intensified quickly, going from a tropical depression to a hurricane in less than 24 hours.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to 75 mph with rapid intensification forecasted to continue.
“Sam could approach the northern Leeward Islands by Tuesday of next week as a major hurricane,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Rob Miller said. A major hurricane is classified as one with winds of at least 111 mph.
AccuWeather forecasters say there is a range of possibilities as to where Sam may go. They are urging residents from Bermuda to the Bahamas, the East Coast of the U.S. and Atlantic Canada to monitor the system for potential impact.
Sam is the 18th named storm of the Atlantic season and the seventh hurricane. Only one other hurricane season — 2020 — on record has had 18 named storms by Sept. 23, said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.
So far this year there have been three major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger): Grace, Ida and Larry.
Elsewhere in the tropics, the Hurricane Center is tracking three systems in the Atlantic, including a new one east of the Carolinas..
The remaining names on the list for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season are Teresa, Victor and Wanda.
If those names are used, there is a supplemental list approved by the World Meteorological Organization which replaced the Greek alphabet used during last year’s record-breaking season.
The supplemental list includes Adria, Braylen, Caridad, Deshawn, Emery, Foster, Gemma and Heath.
Track Hurricane Sam
Contributing: Susan Miller, USA TODAY
