September 30, 2021 - Hurricane Sam
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Tropical Storm Sam
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After reaching peak strength on September 26, 2021, with maximum
sustained winds of 150 mph (241 km/h), Hurricane Sam remained a
powerful major hurricane spinning over the Atlantic Ocean on September
28. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), at 15:00 UTC on
September 28 (11:00 a.m. EDT) on that date, Sam’s maximum sustained
winds had dropped to about 130 mph (215 km/h), and it was located about
580 mi (935 km) east of the Leeward Islands. Although a bit weaker, the
NHC still placed Sam at Category 4 strength.
At 15:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. EDT) on September 19, the NHC stated that
Hurricane Sam’s maximum sustained winds remained near 130 mph (215
km/h), with stronger gusts and it remained a Category 4 storm. Sam was
located about 405 mi (655 km) east-northeast of the Leeward Islands and
was tracking northwestward. Hurricane-force winds extend more than 40
miles (65 km) from the center.
Hurricane Sam is expected to pass well to the east-northeast of the
northern Leeward Islands by the morning of September 30, and then is
forecast to increase forward speed while turning more northward. The
NCH expects some fluctuations in strength, but states that Sam is
forecast to remain a major hurricane through late this week.
Although the storm should stay over open ocean, swells generated by Sam
will impact the Lesser Antilles during the next several days. Swells
are expected to reach Bermuda and the Bahamas in a day or so, and then
spread to the United States east coast by this weekend. These swells
could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board
NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of Hurricane Sam on
September 28. The storm sported a large cloud-filled eye with
convective bands curving tightly into the center.
Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 9/28/2021
Resolutions: 1km (2.5 MB), 500m (7.2 MB), 250m (5.2 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2021-09-30
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