Hurricane Kirk strengthens into Category 3 storm in the Atlantic, expected to grow rapidly

Hurricane Kirk strengthened Wednesday into a Category 3 storm in the Atlantic Ocean and was expected to grow rapidly into a major hurricane, forecasters said.

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect, and the storm system was not yet deemed a threat to land. But forecaster warned Thursday that “large swells” could reach the U.S. East Coast by Sunday.

Kirk reached Category 3 status on Wednesday, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm was about 1,150 miles east-northeast of the Lesser Antilles with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.

It was moving northwest at 12 mph. A gradual turn toward the north-northwest and then northward was expected this week.

Swells generated by the storm could affect portions of the Leeward Islands and Bermuda by the weekend, likely causing “life-threatening” surf and rip current conditions, the center said.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Leslie formed late Wednesday in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and could strengthen into a hurricane by the weekend, forecasters said.

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect, and the storm system was not yet deemed a threat to land.

The storm was located 490 miles southwest of the southernmost tip of the Cabo Verde Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, the hurricane center said.

The storms formed as many people in the U.S. Southeast still lacked running water, cellphone service and electricity as rescuers searched for people unaccounted for after Hurricane Helene struck last week and left a trail of death and catastrophic damage.

More than 180 people died in one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history. At least 186 people were confirmed dead across multiple states as of Thursday morning, according to a tally by CBS News.

President Biden traveled to the Carolinas on Wednesday for an aerial tour of the widespread damage caused by the storm. Vice President Kamala Harris was in Georgia receiving updates on the emergency response to the storm’s devastation there.