Hurricane Kirk is strengthening into a Category 4 storm in the Atlantic and is expected to strengthen

Waves from Hurricane Kirk could cause life-threatening surf Rip current Conditions this weekend along the U.S. East Coast as well as in Bermuda, the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas were high, forecasters said.

Kirk was a Category 4 storm in the Atlantic Ocean and could continue to strengthen, but was expected to stay away from land, the Miami-based US National Hurricane Center said on Thursday. However, forecasters warned that “large waves” could reach the east coast by Sunday.

Waves generated by Kirk were expected to reach parts of the Leeward Islands on Friday and Bermuda and the Greater Antilles on Saturday, the center said.

There were no coast guards or warnings. The severe hurricane struck about 1,040 miles east-northeast of the Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph late Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Leslie formed in the eastern Atlantic late Wednesday and could strengthen into a hurricane in the coming days, forecasters said. It was also not yet seen as a threat to the country.

The storm was located about 610 miles west-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour, the center said.

The storms came as many people in the southeastern United States still lacked access to running water, cell service and electricity as rescuers searched for missing people Hurricane Helene struck last week and a trail of death and catastrophic damage.

More than 200 people were confirmed dead in several states on Thursday one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history, according to a CBS News tally.

President Biden went to Florida and Georgia Thursday to assess the storm's extensive damage.

The trip marks the second straight day the president has observed hurricane damage in the Southeast. He visited the Carolinas on Wednesday, surveying flood damage in Greenville, South Carolina, until AshevilleNorth Carolina, by air and receiving emergency updates from officials in Raleigh.

The president announced that the federal government would cover “100%” of all debris removal and emergency response costs in North Carolina for six months and would do the same for Florida and Georgia for the next 90 days.