[Gabz]

The water needed to fuel such just doesn't get warm enough near Delaware,

The atlantic is about 86 up here right now.......as is the Chesapeake - I don't know the temp of the Delaware, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's in the 80s as well.

Could it sustain a Cat5? I have no idea. But even a minimal 1 coming up either Bay would do horrendous damage, not just on the shores, but inland because of all the tributasries and rivers off of both bays.

[Strategerist]

The bays get pretty hot, but the ocean doesn't, North of Hatteras, where the Gulf Stream leaves the coast;

It's basically thermodynamically impossible to get a Cat 5 actually landfalling N of Hatteras and exceedingly difficult to get a Cat 4, short of drastic climatic change.

[saquin]

Is it just me or was this not really on many people's news radar until about a day ago or even today? Maybe I wasn't paying close attention but I had no inkling something this huge was on the way. (Keep in mind I'm in the Northeast so nowhere near the affected area) But, still, this is a huge national story and I really haven't heard much warning about it. Even today, the rest of the media besides the Weather Channel is virtually ignoring it.

[Heatseeker]

A major hurricane tracking up the Chesapeake is a disaster for us living on the east side (Delmarva Peninsula) because it's right quadrant and so low-lying. Even a relatively minor storm will flood much of Dorchester County (Maryland).

[Diddle E. Squat]

Heck, just think of all the damage Agnes did to the Northeast, and it was barely a hurricane when it hit.