Tropical Storm Julia strengthened into a hurricane on Saturday and is forecast to move toward Central America.
As of Saturday night, the system was 65 miles west of San Andres Island, Colombia and 80 miles east-northeast of Bluefields, Nicaragua.
Julia had winds of 75 mph, and the system was moving west at 16 mph.
“On the forecast track, the center of Julia is expected to make landfall on the coast of Nicaragua during the next several hours, move across Nicaragua on Sunday, and then move near or along the Pacific coasts of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala through Monday and Monday night,” the National Hurricane Center wrote. “Strengthening is expected until the center makes landfall in Nicaragua.”
Julia is forecast to weaken as it moves inland and later dissipate by Monday or Tuesday.
This storm is not expected to impact Florida.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
A hurricane warning is in effect for…
* San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina Islands Colombia
* Nicaragua from Bluefields to Puerto Cabezas
A hurricane watch is in effect for…
* Nicaragua north of Puerto Cabezas to the Honduras/Nicaragua border
A tropical storm warning is in effect for…
* Nicaragua south of Bluefields to the Nicaragua/Costa Rica border
* Nicaragua north of Puerto Cabezas to the Honduras/Nicaragua border
* Pacific coast of Nicaragua
* Pacific coast of Honduras
* Coast of El Salvador
A tropical storm watch is in effect for…
* Honduras from the Nicaragua/Honduras border to Punta Patuca
KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUED
- Stay tuned to WESH 2 News, WESH.COM, or NOAA Weather Radio for storm updates.
- Prepare to bring inside any lawn furniture, outdoor decorations or ornaments, trash cans, hanging plants, and anything else that can be picked up by the wind.
- Understand hurricane forecast models and cones.
- Prepare to cover all windows of your home. If shutters have not been installed, use precut plywood.
- Check batteries and stock up on canned food, first-aid supplies, drinking water, and medications.
The WESH 2 First Warning Weather Team recommends you have these items ready before the storm strikes.
- Bottled water: One gallon of water per person per day
- Canned food and soup, such as beans and chili
- Can opener for the cans without the easy-open lids
- Assemble a first-aid kit
- Two weeks’ worth of prescription medications
- Baby/children’s needs, such as formula and diapers
- Flashlight and batteries
- Battery-operated weather radio
WHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WARNING IS ISSUED
- Listen to the advice of local officials. If you are advised to evacuate, leave.
- Complete preparation activities.
- If you are not advised to evacuate, stay indoors, away from windows.
- Be alert for tornadoes. Tornadoes can happen during a hurricane and after it passes over. Remain indoors, in the center of your home, in a closet or bathroom without windows.
HOW YOUR SMARTPHONE CAN HELP DURING A HURRICANE
A smartphone can be your best friend in a hurricane — with the right websites and apps, you can turn it into a powerful tool for guiding you through a storm’s approach, arrival and aftermath.
Download the WESH 2 News app for iOS | Android
Enable emergency alerts — if you have an iPhone, select settings, then go into notifications. From there, look for government alerts and enable emergency alerts.
If you have an Android phone, from the home page of the app, scroll to the right along the bottom and click on “settings.” On the settings menu, click on “severe weather alerts.” From the menu, select from most severe, moderate-severe, or all alerts.
PET AND ANIMAL SAFETY
Your pet should be a part of your family plan. If you must evacuate, the most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to evacuate them too. Leaving pets behind, even if you try to create a safe space for them, could result in injury or death.
- Contact hotels and motels outside of your immediate area to see if they take pets.
- Ask friends, relatives and others outside of the affected area whether they could shelter your animal.