The East Coast still was recovering from the surprise of Tuesday's earthquake when the National Hurricane Center announced that Hurricane Irene, a major Category 3 storm moving through the Bahamas, was headed this way.
Irene is expected to hit the East Coast this weekend, starting Saturday in North Carolina, but so far National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Krekeler said the possibility of the hurricane hitting the Williamsport area is "not very likely."
That's good news for the Little League World Series, which continues through the weekend and wraps up Sunday.
"The current forecast track would take the center of the hurricane off the North Carolina coast and up into New England, really too far away from our area to see much of an impact," Krekeler said Wednesday.
The area could see "a little bit of rain and maybe some gusty winds, but nothing substantial," he said. "Even that doesn't really stand a good chance at this point."
The weekend's area forecast shows sunshine Friday, with a 30-percent chance of rain rolling in Saturday and Sunday. Monday is expected to be sunny, reaching a high near 77 degrees.
The hurricane is expected to move to Category 4 by today thanks to atmospheric conditions. Krekeler said the warm water encountered by Hurricane Irene has caused its continued growth.
"It's been in favorable conditions, so it's just continued to grow and strengthen over the warm waters of the Atlantic and the Caribbean," he said.
The National Hurricane Center recommends people anticipating a hurricane develop a family plan, create a disaster supply kit, secure their homes and stay updated on hurricane developments online. More information is available at www.nhc.noaa.gov.
While the hurricane is not expected to affect the area, The National Weather Service issued a public advisory Wednesday cautioning residents of the Mid-Atlantic states to keep an eye on the hurricane's development.
"It's always a good idea to stay tuned, because things can change ... It never hurts to stay informed," Krekeler said.
