Hurricane Ike Becomes Dangerous Monster

Hurricane Ike intensified in strength from Tropical Storm Ike to dangerous Category 4 Hurricane Ike with winds of 145 miles per hour in less than 18 hours! As of Thursday, Hurricane Ike remains 550 miles northeast of the Leeward Islands. Current projections have this monster of a hurricane on a path toward the Bahamas by early next week but it still could go anywhere. Hurricane Ike is not currently expected to reach Category 5 status and, in fact, may decrease in intensity to a Category 3 before it returns to a Category 4. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Hanna and Tropical Storm Josephine pose threats to North America in the coming days. For maps and forecasts, check out Weather Underground.