ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hurricane Oscar has formed near the Bahamas, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm underwent rapid intensification, allowing it to strengthen from a tropical storm to a category one hurricane.
As of Saturday afternoon, Oscar is located 165 miles east-southeast of the southeastern Bahamas and about 470 miles east of Camguey, Cuba. Maximum sustained winds are currently clocked at 80 mph with present movement at 12 mph.
A Hurricane Warning has been issued in the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeast Bahamas. Meanwhile, Cuba has issued a Hurricane Watch for the provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin and Las Tunas.
Hurricane conditions are expected to reach the coast within the warning area by Saturday night with tropical storm conditions expected to begin that afternoon, making outside preparations dangerous, according to NHC.
Meanwhile, rainfall amounts of 2-4 inches with isolated amounts of 6 inches are expected across Turks and Caicos, southeastern Cuba and the southeastern Bahamas through Tuesday.
Dangerous storm surge will likely produce dangerous coastal flooding in the Turks and Caicos Islands, where
water levels are expected to be between 2 and 4 feet. Large and destructive waves are expected to accompany the surge near the coast as well.
Oscar will not bring a threat to Florida as the system is anticipated to recurve toward the northeast with the help of a frontal boundary that dropped into our region earlier in the week.
