http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at4.shtml?5-daynl#contents
11pm update from the NHC not a good one.
Basically, if this thing stays just offshore and holds structure together (as the NHC is currently forecasting), it can provide hurricane force winds over a massive area of land.
Think about what usually happens. A hurricane makes a "landing" in a specific 20-30 mile area and then weakens and is gone.
In this current scenario, the landings are brief, a large bulk of the hurricane stays over the water, and then the hurricane moves offshore and continues to slowly ride the natural coastline all the way to the Outer Banks.
I mean...we're talking major beach erosion from West Palm Beach, FL all the way up to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, under the NHC's latest forecasts....Any point in between could get the direct impact of a serious storm. From a financial perspective, you have to imagine this could be a nightmare scenario. You could have WPB, Melbourne, Cocoa Beach, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Savannah, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Wilmington and the Outer Banks all affected with Hurricane force winds and a serious storm surge.
The hope is that this deviates slightly east just enough to stay far enough off-shore to deliver TS winds all the way up, instead of hurricane force winds. I suppose the other hope is that Cuba really weakens this thing (a distinct possibility, we'll know more in the morning) and that it never really gets its act together after that.