As Hurricane Dorian left the Commonwealth of the Bahamas in ruins, four other storms have started brewing in the extremely active Atlantic Basin. Although Dorian has been downgraded to a Category 2 and has stayed off of Florida’s coast, following storms could exacerbate the damages done to the hard hit Bahamas.

Tropical Storm Gabrielle formed off of the northwestern coast of Africa Tuesday, with a small tropical disturbance following shortly behind. Gabrielle is currently forecasted to go northeast into shipping lanes in the Mid-Atlantic, according to AccuWeather. However, if steering winds out of the south lighten up, it could be the next hurricane to strike the Carribean and East Coast. 

Thursday morning, another tropical disturbance appeared southeast of Gabrielle, closer to the Caribbean.  The storm is forecasted for a 10% chance of formation in the next 48 hours. However, the slow moving storm is carrying a northwestward motion straight towards the Bahamas and southeastern United States. If this storm were to develop it could mean more destruction for the Bahamas.

Earlier this week Dorian inflicted an unusual amount of damage to the Bahamas because of the intensity and slow movement of the storm. It stalled to a staggering 1 mph creep at a Category 5 strength over the island chain. Although official damage assessments have yet to be released, preliminary reports indicate Dorian has left at least 20 dead, infrastructure in shambles, and shelter scarce, according to NBC. Without properly functioning infrastructure and shelters, another hurricane could lead to more deaths, destruction, and suffering in the country.

One other storm to note that has extremely low chances of affecting Florida or the Bahamas. A tropical disturbance has formed a few hundred miles north of Bermuda with a 30% chance of formation by Saturday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

The disturbance is likely to stay off of the coast or be pushed northward in the following days. The storm has been following a northerly path in the past few days, inching away from Bermuda, and downgrading in size.

To help relief efforts in the Bahamas, you can donate by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS, texting the word DORIAN to 90999 to make a $10 donation, or by dropping off supplies at the following locations:

• JACKSONVILLE SOUTH – Store 106: 904-385-9242 | 144 Industrial Drive, Orange Park, FL 32073
• JACKSONVILLE EAST – Store 110: 904-634-7983 | 3207 Cortez Road, Jacksonville, FL 32246 

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