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The NWS has confirmed that a tornado in Delaware stayed on the ground for a record-breaking 29.2 miles, one of five in the region, while the NOAA has revised its Atlantic hurricane season estimate to up to 25 named storms.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has confirmed that a tornado which touched down in Delaware during Tropical Storm Isaias on Tuesday, August 4, stayed on the ground for a record-breaking 29.2 miles, 6ABC reports.
As Tropical Storm Isaias roared into Delaware on Tuesday, it produced an EF-1 tornado with maximum sustained winds at 105 mph. Officials from the NWS say the tornado touched down in the vicinity of the Eagle Meadows Apartment Homes on Sorghum Mill Road in Kent County.
The tornado stayed on the ground for 29.2 miles. Officials say it was the longest track of any tornado in recorded history in the Philadelphia region since the 1950s.
Officials say the Delaware tornado was just one of five tornadoes in the area spawned by Tropical Storm Isaias on Tuesday, August 4. The tornado also caused damage elsewhere, tracking over Dover, where it left significant tree damage, as well as later damaging homes in Middletown, New Castle County.
An EF-1 tornado with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph caused extensive damage in Marmora, New Jersey, the NWS said. Additionally, an EF-0 tornado with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph also touched down in Worcester Township, Pennsylvania
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) upgraded its forecast for the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season on Thursday saying there is a 85% chance of there being an “above normal” hurricane season, NPR reports.
The NOAA updated its earlier forecast it gave in late May, when it also said there would be an above average season. The agency had predicted 2020 would see between 13 and 19 named storms, 6 to 10 of which could become hurricanes. At the time, the NOAA predicted 3 to 6 storms becoming major hurricanes of Category 3 or greater with winds of 111 miles per hour or stronger.
Now, the NOAA has increased its estimate to speculate 19 to 25 named storms for the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, said Gerry Bell, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. According to the updated NOAA prediction, 7 to 11 of the name storms will become hurricanes, having sustained winds of at least 74 mph.
The estimate of major hurricanes has not changed, with the NOAA predicting that 3 to 6 named storms will become major hurricanes with winds of 111 miles per hour or higher.
There is now an 85% chance of 2020 being an “above-normal” season, National Weather Service Director Louis Uccellini told NPR, adding that initial hurricane outlook given by the NOAA in May only predicted a 60% chance of an above-normal season.
The director of the National Weather Service added a warning for people living on or near the coasts that they should be especially mindful of the increased risk for the 2020 hurricane season and prepare accordingly.
One thing people should not be without is a cell phone. Search for the cheapest phone plans, but make sure you are not without this critical safety device during an emergency situation.
