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Tropical Storms Ana, Bill Aim for US Shores

Ana is the season's first named system; Bill could morph into a hurricane

By Wesley Oliver, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 15, 2009 5:10 PM CDT

(Newser) – Ana and Bill are on the move, but meteorologists aren't worried just yet, the Miami Herald reports. Both tropical storms formed in the Atlantic today and are moving westward, but a possible US landing is 5 or more days away. The National Hurricane Center says they could strike anywhere from South Carolina to Cuba. “We want people to watch the tropics, but we don't want them to push the panic button,” said one official.

Both are moving westward at about 17mph with sustained winds of 40 mph. While dry air and upper level winds may sap Ana’s strength, Bill seems more likely to become a hurricane—complete with winds topping 111 mph—by Thursday. But forecasters concede that much could change over the storms' 2,000-mile-plus journey.

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Graphic tracks the projected path of Tropical Storm Ana.

This NOAA satellite image taken Saturday, August 15, 2009 at 2:15 PM EDT shows a swirl of clouds east of the Lesser Antilles associated with Tropical Storm Ana as it moves northwestward. (AP Photo/Weather Underground)

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We want people to watch the tropics but we don't want them to push the panic button.
- Dennis Feltgen, spokesman for the National Hurricane Center in West Miami-Dade County

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Tropical Storms Ana, Bill Aim for US Shores