Hurricane Humberto threatens U.S. southeastern coast

Miami, September 16 (RHC)-- Hurricane Humberto, which gained hurricane strength late Sunday, is expected to drop another 2 inches of rain on the storm-ravaged northwestern Bahamas as it crawls away from the U.S. coast, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said early Monday morning.

The NHC says that the storm could bring life-threatening waves and tides to parts of Central Florida and North Carolina coasts for the next few days as it packs sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph) and heads east-northeast toward Bermuda.

It was 760 miles (1,225 km) west of Bermuda early Monday, moving at 5 mph (7 kph), and may bring heavy rains there by late Wednesday, the NHC said in its 5 a.m. advisory.

Humberto is forecast to gain strength and get faster over the next two days.

Edited by Ed Newman