Storm Called Karen Could Hit US Later This Week

Two storms are brewing in the Atlantic this week, with Tropical Storm Jerry on track to become a hurricane and a separate system threatening the Southeast coast. Jerry spun to life in the eastern Atlantic on Tuesday and is expected to reach hurricane strength as it nears the northern Leeward Islands late Thursday, the Washington Post reports.

• The forecast suggests Jerry will likely veer north, staying out at sea and sparing the US coast, thanks to the other weather system. That second, nontropical system could pack its own punch, delivering rain, wind, and rough surf to the Carolinas and Virginia—especially the already battered Outer Banks—starting late this week. Higher tides from this week's supermoon could worsen the impact.

• If the second system strengthens into a subtropical storm, it will get the name Karen. The exact path and intensity remain uncertain, with three main scenarios: it could stall over the Carolinas, race up toward the Northeast, or stay far enough offshore to avoid major damage.
• Jerry was about 1,120 miles east of the Leeward Islands Tuesday evening, with winds hitting 50 mph and moving west at 23 mph, according to a National Hurricane Center update. CNN notes that Jerry is the 10th named storm of a "late-blooming" hurricane season, with three hurricanes in the space of just over two weeks.
• So far this year, no hurricanes have made landfall in the US, the Post reports. If the trend continues, this will be the first hurricane season without a US landfall since 2015, though forecasters warn that conditions are right for late-season storms, with the possibility of a severe storm forming in the Caribbean, where ocean heat is above average.