Hurricane Humberto Could Intensify — But Forecasters Warn of Bigger Dangers Closer to Home

In this satellite image captured on Friday afternoon, Sept. 26, 2025, Category 4 Hurricane Humberto—with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph—can be seen right of center in the central Atlantic, about 390 miles east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands.Separately, a tropical rainstorm affecting Hispaniola, eastern Cuba, and the Turks and Caicos Islands with heavy rain and gusty winds is forecast by AccuWeather to organize into Tropical Storm Imelda over the weekend, potentially heading toward the southeastern U.S. (AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue™ Satellite)

Miami, Florida – 26 September 2025 - Hurricane Humberto roared to life in the Atlantic on Friday, rapidly strengthening into a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 130 mph, as forecasters eye its potential to escalate further into a monster Category 5 before brushing the Bahamas and Bermuda over the weekend.

Yet, even as satellite images reveal the cyclone's well-defined eye and explosive growth, National Hurricane Center (NHC) experts are shifting focus to a more immediate peril: Tropical Storm Imelda, a nascent system churning in the Caribbean that could slam into the U.S. Southeast early next week, bringing heavy rains, storm surges, and possible tornadoes to an already weary region.

Humberto, the eighth named storm of what has been a below-average 2025 Atlantic hurricane season so far, formed earlier this week from a tropical wave off Africa's coast and has since undergone rapid intensification, packing punches of 30 mph wind increases in just 24 hours.The NHC's latest advisory pegs its central pressure at 950 millibars, with models suggesting peak winds could surge to 150 mph by Sunday, placing it on the cusp of Category 5 status—the threshold for "catastrophic" damage."Humberto is a beast in the making," said NHC senior hurricane specialist John Cangialosi during a midday briefing. "Warm sea surface temperatures and low wind shear are fueling this fire."

The storm's projected path arcs northward, sparing the U.S. East Coast a direct hit but promising rough seas and rip currents from Florida to the Carolinas through the weekend.Eastern Cuba could see up to a foot of rain, while the Bahamas braces for 4 to 8 inches, exacerbating recovery efforts from prior disturbances.Bermuda, the likely closest approach point, has issued hurricane watches, with officials urging residents to secure properties against winds that could topple trees and power lines.

But Humberto's spectacle is overshadowing a stealthier threat closer to American shores. Invest 94L, dubbed potential Tropical Storm Imelda, is organizing southwest of Jamaica, with 70% odds of development within 48 hours.Unlike Humberto's offshore trajectory, Imelda's forecast cone points squarely at the U.S. Southeast, with possible landfall as a hurricane in South Carolina or Georgia by Monday or Tuesday.South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency on Thursday, mobilizing the National Guard and urging coastal evacuations in low-lying areas.

Forecasters warn Imelda could dump 6 to 12 inches of rain across the Carolinas and Virginia, sparking flash flooding in urban zones and river overflows in rural ones—echoing the devastation of Hurricane Helene earlier this season."This one's flying under the radar, but the impacts could be profound," cautioned Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach. "Humberto gets the headlines, but Imelda's the one knocking on our door." The NHC has hoisted tropical storm watches from the Florida Panhandle to the Outer Banks, with hurricane watches likely by Saturday evening.

The dual threats come amid a season that NOAA predicted would be above-normal, with 17 to 25 named storms, though only seven have materialized by late September.Climate factors like La Niña's emergence are cited for the late-season surge, potentially complicating Humberto and Imelda's interactions—Humberto's outflow could shear Imelda, or vice versa, injecting uncertainty into models.

As Humberto churns toward its peak and Imelda gathers steam, emergency managers from Miami to Myrtle Beach are on high alert. The NHC promises updates every six hours, but with models diverging, residents are advised to monitor apps like FEMA's and pack go-bags now. In the volatile dance of Atlantic hurricanes, today's distant roar could be tomorrow's backyard gale.