But the National Hurricane Center’s new official forecast cone issued midday Saturday 9/27/25 predicts future-Imelda will reach hurricane status just off the Southeastern coast by late Monday and remain that way into Wednesday as it nears or even reaches the coast into the middle of the week.
However, the bulk of the cone is leaning towards the scenario of the storm slowing to a crawl while meandering just offshore, then taking a turn to the east away from the coast.
“Even if likely-Hurricane Imelda does not make landfall, potentially dangerous rainfall is likely over at least South Carolina and the eastern two-thirds of North Carolina, with the Low Country and southeastern North Carolina getting the most,” says FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross. “But if it makes landfall, as a number of the computer forecasts still indicate, rainfall capable of producing flash flooding will occur over a larger area, including in the mountains.”
