Noel Slaps Bahamas, Heads North

Tropical Storm Noel grew into Hurricane Noel overnight, becoming a Category I storm with maximum winds of 80 mph as it lashed the Bahamas with heavy winds and rain before heading north towards Bermuda and the East Coast of the U.S. The storm dumped 15 inches of rain on the Bahamas and caused flooding-related evacuations in Cuba.

A gale warning is in effect in Bermuda as the storm appears set to pass between the Atlantic island and the Carolina coast. The center of the storm is expected to arrive in the vicinity of Bermuda at about 2 a.m. tomorrow morning. Experts don't expect the storm to get any stronger, but nobody should underestimate Noel based on the damage this large storm has done even before it became a hurricane.

To track Noel's latest progress, see the National Hurricane Center site.