Lee Now Hurricane; Likely To Be 'Extremely Dangerous Major' Storm: NHC

ATLANTA — Lee was upgraded to hurricane status Wednesday afternoon and is expected to become a major hurricane, but weather officials told Patch earlier in the day that Georgia should not be concerned as the Peach State is not in the path of the storm.

The National Weather Service's Peachtree City office said Wednesday Lee is expected to turn right in the Atlantic, avoiding Georgia altogether. Forecasters say there are no major storms heading Georgia's way, aside from the state's usual weekend rain pattern.

The National Hurricane Center reported Lee is nearing hurricane strength and could develop into "an extremely dangerous major hurricane by Saturday." The NHC said at its 11 a.m. update it was too soon to pinpoint Lee's impact location; however, the storm is predicted to affect the Leeward Islands.

Lee is expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip conditions for parts of the Lesser Antilles Friday.

By Tuesday evening, Lee was located about 1,300 miles east of the Lesser Antilles and was moving west-northwest with sustained winds of 45 mph.

5PM AST Sep 5: Tropical Storm #Lee expected to rapidly intensify into an extremely dangerous hurricane by the weekend. Stay up to date with the latest at https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ pic.twitter.com/uiYYCjKHG3
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 5, 2023

The prediction comes a week after Hurricane Idalia slammed into Florida's Big Bend area as a strong Category 3 storm, bringing life-threatening storm surge, rainfall and damaging winds to an area that's never experienced such an event. Idalia then moved into Georgia and the Carolinas as a powerful tropical storm.

RELATED: Idalia's GA Aftermath: 1 Dead, 44 Displaced, Thousands Without Power

Early estimates said Idalia caused anywhere between $12 billion to $20 billion in damage throughout Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.

Idalia, the season's third hurricane, formed on Aug. 29, 10 days earlier than average, according to a New York Times report.

South Georgia continues to recover from Idalia, which knocked down hundreds of trees and caused thousands of residents to be without power.

One person in Lowndes County died while trying to clear a tree while people became displaced, state emergency management officials previously reported.

Roads were flooded, and community members worked together to share resources.

Idalia triggered a state of emergency in Georgia, and Gov. Brian Kemp has reportedly requested federal assistance to help with recovery.