Hurricane Jose: Separating fact from hype

Social media hype is already beginning about Hurricane Jose’s potential threat to the United States’ East Coast in less than two weeks.

Images from non-official sources are being shared of a strike near New Jersey. But don’t be fooled: Jose’s track is far from definite as of Monday afternoon.

Jose will meander north of the Caribbean region this week and pose no danger to land for most of the workweek. The National Hurricane Center’s forecast has Jose looping around the Atlantic Ocean away from land but potentially nearing the southeastern Bahamas as a hurricane late in the week.

During that time, Jose will be moving generally westward then more northward. From there, where Jose goes is unknown.

In a Monday afternoon report, AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski says a high pressure system will cause Jose to move in a circular fashion throughout the week.

AccuWeather reports that there are “several paths” Jose can take by the third week of September, including impacting the mid-Atlantic, New England, or Atlantic Canada.

However by next week, forecasters say Jose can also just go harmlessly out to sea. 

Given the uncertainty of Jose’s track, the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly offers wise advice.

“If you hear a rumor, especially on social media, regarding what Jose may or may not do, please refer back to your National Weather Service local office or the National Hurricane Center. The official forecast goes out five days due to the considerable uncertainty beyond day five,” a Monday afternoon update says. 

With more than two months left in the current hurricane season, NOAA advises coastal residents to have a plan should a tropical system threaten or strike. 

FEMA offers the following easy, low-cost steps to get prepared now:

Have a family discussion about what you will do, where you will go and how you will communicate with each other when a storm threatens.
Know your evacuation route.
Tune into your local news or download the FEMA app to get alerts.
Listen to local authorities as a storm approaches.

The 2017 Atlantic basin hurricane season will end on November 30.