Science
Satellite imagery shows hurricanes Florence, Isaac, and Helene from space on September 10, 2018.
- Hurricane Florence is predicted to slam into the US East Coast as a "major" storm.
- Two other hurricanes - Isaac and Helene - have also formed in the Atlantic Ocean.
- Astronauts aboard the International Space Station recently flew over all three hurricanes and photographed them from space.
Hurricane Florence is blowing sustained winds of more than 115 mph as it barrels toward the US East Coast as a Category 3 storm.
Warm Atlantic Ocean waters are adding to Florence's strength, and computer models predict that the storm will make landfall Thursday in North Carolina or South Carolina as a major hurrican. Its impacts may be felt much deeper in the US, including in most of Virginia.
"Today is the day to get prepared all along the East Coast!" the National Weather Service tweeted on Monday morning. "Don't get complacent just because you live inland! Florence is forecast to bring devastating rainfall and flooding from the coast to the Appalachians."
But Hurricane Florence is not alone in the Atlantic Ocean, as astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) saw first-hand on Monday morning: hurricanes Isaac and Helene are trailing behind Florence, making for a looming trio of cyclonic storms.
What the hurricanes look like to astronauts in space
Ricky Arnold, a NASA astronaut aboard the space station, was in the right place at the right time to photograph all three giant storms from his lofty perch.
"Hurricane #Florence this morning as seen from @Space_Station," Arnold tweeted on Monday. "A few moments later, #Isaac & the outer bands of #Helene were also visible."
Below are the photos that Arnold - who also recently helped track down a hole in the ISS - took of all three storms from about 250 miles above Earth.
Hurricane Florence
The storm is currently between 500-600 miles wide and gaining strength.
A robotic arm of the ISS drifts in the middle of the image, and solar panels are seen to the right:
Hurricane Isaac
Isaac is a Category 1 hurricane that's blowing winds between 74-95 mph. The storm is targeting the southern Caribbean region and may bring a storm surge of up to 5 feet.
A section of solar panels partly blocks the view of Earth at the top-right of the image:
Hurricane Helene
Helene is a Category 2 hurricane that's blowing winds between 96-110 mph. The storm may turn northward in the coming days and bring a storm surge of up to 8 feet.
The object off to the bottom-right in the image is a Russian Soyuz spacecraft that astronauts use to get to and from the ISS:
Any of these storms could strengthen into more powerful cyclones in the coming days.
Stay updated on our Hurricane Florence coverage here, and please prepare yourself now if any of these storms threaten an area where you live.