About Sailing into the Storm: The winds are howling as the Wren and Frog try and sail their small boat home. Will they make it? Enjoy this 3000 word short story as you meet two adventurous 10-year-old cousins and their faithful bloodhound Rattler as they must use their wits to survive.

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When you book a luxury cruise to Bermuda, the only weather conditions you expect to contend with are high heat and endless sunshine.

So spare a thought for the people on board a Royal Caribbean cruise liner who found themselves caught up in the middle of tropical storm Hermine.

Terrifying footage showed the 1,100ft-long Anthem of the Seas undulating through huge swells and 90mph winds en route to sunny Bermuda.

Sea-sick passengers, who were confined to their rooms, took social media are to complain about the violent rocking.

Robert McHugh, one of the passengers, tweeted: 'If ya'll wondering where Hermine is at, we here on the Anthem of the Seas found her. Anthem of the seas recording gusts of 90 knot winds. Good times.'

Passengers on board Royal Caribbean liner Anthem of the Seas have complained of seasickness as the ship is battered by huge waves, rain and winds of up to 80mph from tropical storm Hermine

The storm had been expected to bring Labor Day misery to the East Coast but span out to sea overnight on Saturday. While it may strengthen into a hurricane again, it is unlikely to make landfall for a second time

Wild weather is expected in the next few days as tropical storm Hermine continues its path up the east coast. The storm is currently churning hundreds of miles off shore but is still impacting beaches along the east coast

The ship left Bayonne, New Jersey, but got caught up in bad weather and high winds from the storm at around 2pm the following day.

Several passengers had reported feeling ill because of the rough seas, according to CBS, with Royal Caribbean offering free pay-per-view TV to those confined to their rooms.

This is not the first time that Anthem of the Seas has been caught in extreme weather this year. Back in February it was forced to turn back to the US after sailing into another large Atlantic storm.

On that occasion waves were bad enough to hurl furniture around and cause ceilings to fall down in what passengers described as 'the cruise from hell'.

Sunday's footage emerged as forecasters predicted Hermine could strengthen into a hurricane for the second time, though said it is unlikely to make landfall again after spinning out to sea overnight on Saturday.

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New York City appears to have dodged the worst of the storm, after warnings it could be drenched with rain.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the downgraded hurricane was more than 300 miles off the coast of Maryland at 5pm on Sunday.

Maximum sustained winds of 70mph were recorded, and forecasters said it was movely slowly northeast at a rate of 5 knots.

The threat of heavy rain in New York City appears to have passed for the moment, but the storm is maintaining enough power to whip up dangerous waves and rip currents and keep beaches off-limits to disappointed swimmers and surfers.

Other areas have also seen flooding and wild weather.

Dramatic pictures show massive waves crashing on beaches in New Jersey, while a young girl was spotted clinging to a wooden fence while being surrounded by flood waters in Virginia.

Chloe Riffle, 7, watches as she is surrounded by water on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016 in the Ocean View section of Norfolk, Va

A weather map from the National Hurricane Center shows that the storm system is currently located more than 300 miles off the coast of Maryland

Marco Cardone put on dry socks and boots after wading through the flood waters on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016 in Norfolk, Virginia

A map from the National Weather Service charts where the storm is at the moment and its projected path over the coming days

There is a chance the storm could be upgraded back to hurricane status if it continues to pick up steam, before forecasters predict it will slow down again on Tuesday.

Governors all along the Eastern Seaboard announced emergency preparations. Tropical storm watches and warnings were in effect from Virginia to Massachusetts, with special concern focused on New Jersey and Delaware.

Here, Rehoboth Beach could experience wind gusts up to 50 mph and life-threatening storm surges during high tide late Sunday and into Monday.

Gov. Chris Christie warned that minor to moderate flooding was still likely in coastal areas and said the storm will cause major problems, even as it tracks eastward into the Atlantic.

'Don't be lulled by the nice weather,' Christie said, referring to the bright sunny skies along the Jersey Shore on Sunday.

'Don't think that nothing is going to happen, because something is going to happen.'

Tropical Storm Hermine is pictured from space by a NASA satellite on Sunday, September 4, 2016

Beachgoers watch waves caused by the passing of storm system Hermine, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, in Ocean Grove,N.J

There is a chance the storm could be upgraded back to hurricane status if it continues to pick up steam, before forecasters predict it will slow down again on Tuesday

It comes after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned residents to brace themselves for rain and wind as tropical storm Hermine barrels up the East Coast.

Two people have died in the extreme weather, which has prompted states of emergency in parts of New Jersey and has disrupted the holiday plans of millions of Americans.

Gusts of up to 70mph, coastal floods and deadly rip tides are expected between the Virginia Tidewater and southeastern New England from Labor Day and beyond.

Many parts of the seaboard hit by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 are in the firing line.

The center of the storm is set to move away from the mid-Atlantic coast on Sunday, but is expected to turn back to the north east on Labor Day.

The forecast has prompted de Blasio to ban all swimming at New York City beaches on Sunday. Sandbags have also been put on subway station entrances to stop floodwaters from getting in.

Barricades have also been put up in Battery Park in case.

Sandbags and tarps cover the entrance to a subway station near Battery Park as New York City prepares for potential flooding as post-tropical storm Hermine stalls off the east coast

Water-resistant barricades surround an office building near Battery Park in New York. High winds and powerful storm surges are expected in the midst of the storm. Many of the areas hit by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 may also be impacted

High winds from tropical storm Hermine make their way north and effects can be seen as waves crash into shore in Atlantic City, New Jersey

A satellite image shows the storm system building up along the eastern seaboard as millions braced for extreme weather

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has warned residents to brace themselves for rain and wind as tropical storm Hermine barrels up the East Coast

Gusts of up to 70mph, coastal floods and deadly rip tides are expected between the Virginia Tidewater and southeastern New England from Labor Day and beyond

He tweeted: 'Hermine is a powerful storm with significant hazards and she's headed our way. Please do not underestimate the risk this storm poses.

'Due to life-threatening rip tides, NYC beaches are closed to swimming, surfing, and bathing today. Please do not enter the water.'

As of 8pm on Saturday, the storm was centered about 205 miles east of Norfolk, Virginia, and 195 miles southeast of Ocean City, Maryland, moving east-northeast at 12 mph.

By Sunday morning it had moved further East, prompting hopes it may stall in the Atlantic Ocean.

A man tries to turn away from the huge wave as it crashes against the rocks in Atlantic City, New Jersey

A woman takes pictures of the waves on her cell phone in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Hermine had made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane, but has since weakened to a tropical storm

Lucille Rang, who is originally from Canada but moved to Virginia Beach recently, looks at the waves at a fishing pier in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Saturday

This photo provided by Tyrrell County Sheriffís office shows a tipped over 18-wheeler in Columbia, North Carolina, on Saturday

Two trailers sit in the creek behind the Hatteras Sands Campground in Hatteras, North Carolina, on Saturday

Pound net fisherman Brian Wilson bails water from one of his boats docked on Saturday in Virginia Beach

Hermine was intensifying Saturday along the Atlantic, threatening heavy rain, wind and storm surges on its northward march

Tropical Storm Warnings were extended as far north as Massachusetts, with dangerous storm surges expected and many states are hunkering down as Hermine approaches

States highlighted in red have Tropical Storm Warnings in effect and many governors, including New Jersey governor Chris Christie, have declared a state of emergency

Bridges along the North Carolina's Outer Banks reopened just after 6pm when winds from the storm subsided. North Carolina's Department of Transportation had closed several bridges because they were too dangerous to drive on.

Winds gusted to around 60 mph as Hermine moved away from the coast.

The storm sent water over NC Highway 12, the only road connecting Hatteras Island to the mainland. Officials warned there was still standing water on parts of the highway.

Tropical Storm Warnings were extended as far north as Massachusetts, with dangerous storm surges expected. Governors all along the coast announced emergency preparations.

Just after 3pm on Saturday a state of emergency was declared in Suffolk County, New York, according to Newsday.

Eli White covers his face from the blowing sand in Nags Head, North Carolina, on Saturday as Tropical Storm Hermine passes through the area

Near to a warning sign to keep off the rocks, people take photos along Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach, Virginia, as the remnants of Hermine makes it way up the coast

People sit on the beach with the gulls watching rough seas at Missouri Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey as Hermine approaches

Staff of the Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder team transport four spinner dolphins that were rescued after stranding off a small island about 20 miles north of Islamorada, Florida, on Saturday

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday that all New York City beaches will be closed Sunday and warned locals not to go near the water.

New Jersey governor Chris Christie declared a state of emergency in southern New Jersey as the storm barrels up the east coast.

'The impending weather conditions constitute an imminent hazard, which threatens and presently endangers the health, safety, and resources of the residents of Ocean County, Atlantic County and Cape May County,' Christie said in a statement.

Amtrak cancelled or altered some service as the storm approached, and New York governor Andrew Cuomo activated New York's Emergency Operations Center.

Cuomo urged New Yorkers on Saturday to prepare for potentially hazardous weather as Westchester, New York City and Long Island were put under a Tropical Storm Warning beginning Sunday through Tuesday.

Hermine rose up over the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 1 hurricane, hitting Florida and crossing over Georgia before whipping up the Carolinas

A tree service company removes a fallen tree from the roof of a damaged home Friday. A falling tree in Florida killed one man during the storm

Lee and Gary Moulton walk from their home along what is left of a road that was destroyed by Hurricane Hermine in the Alligator Point community of Franklin County

'As Hermine approaches, we are taking every action necessary to protect New Yorkers and our most vulnerable infrastructure across downstate,' Cuomo said in a statement.

The statement continued: 'We are monitoring the storm's progression around the clock and, while the latest forecasts spare our state from the brunt of the storm, I have directed emergency response officials to pre-deploy high axle vehicles and swift water rescue teams in the event of localized flooding.

'I urge residents and visitors to check local weather reports before traveling tomorrow and Monday and to stay informed by using NY Alert.'

Suffolk County residents were told to evacuate in an accidental FEMA warning as Hermine moved toward the area.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said in a statement that the warning was the result of an 'inaccurate phone call', according to PIX 11.

The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Hermine could bring four to seven inches of rain to southeastern Virginia and the Atlantic coastal portion of Maryland

Authorities check on construction material dangling in Virginia Beach after Hermine ripped through the area on Saturday

Chris Boland (rear, right), whose home just missed a direct hit from a downed pine tree over the power lines, and Julia Tyson look over the aftermath Tropical Storm Hermine

Karen Duer-Potts uses her cellphone to take a photograph of the blood-red sunset as the outer band of Hermine creeps away

'An inaccurate phone call went out this evening from a federal emergency management authority to some Suffolk County residents stating that all Suffolk County residents must evacuate. THAT WAS INCORRECT,' he said in his statement.

He added that the Fire Island evacuation was voluntary, but it is 'of critical importance that those with medical conditions and certain seniors evacuate as access to doctors and medical assistance may be extremely limited'.

A second call was sent out to let Suffolk County residents know the first was accidental and that the area was not being evacuated.

Several water rescues have already taken place in New Jersey, according to Weather.com.

'People. Don't be stupid. Do not put responders lives in jeopardy because you want to risk your own,' read a Facebook post on the OCPD page.

The storm left damaged homes and businesses in its wake and left hundreds of thousands without electricity from Florida to Virginia.

'This is not a beach weekend for anyone in the Mid-Atlantic to the northeast,' said Eric Blake, a hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

This is a 'storm to take seriously' with 'life-threatening water levels along the coast', Blake warned

Hermine rose up over the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 1 hurricane, hitting Florida and crossing over Georgia before whipping up the Carolinas.

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Tyrell County Sheriff Darryl Liverman told the Virginian-Pilot that high winds tipped over an 18-wheeler, killing its driver and shutting down the US 64 bridge.

And on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks, a small tornado spawned by Hermine knocked over two trailers and injured four people, authorities said.

North Carolina sand bags: By Friday afternoon, it had weakened to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. The National Hurricane Center issued tropical storm watches and warnings as far north as the Connecticut-Rhode Island border

The North Carolina National Guard prepares to depart their Kinston, North Carolina yard on Friday to stage at the Global Transpark after being activated head of Tropical Storm Hermine

Sailing Into The Storm Screensavers

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HURRICANE AND A TROPICAL STORM?

In the Atlantic Ocean, a hurricane usual starts as a lowlytropical disturbance, meaning organized thunderstorm activity stretching at least 100 miles across and remaining as one for 24 hours.

They often start as storms moving westward from African during the summer, according to Vox.

If a tropical disturbance is expected to further develop, meteorologists will appoint it as an investigative area or invest.

For example, meteorologists were watching closely with Hermine starting out as 'Invest 99L.'

Under certain conditions, a tropical disturbance can continue developing and spin into a low-pressure center, at which point it is classified as a tropical cyclone or tropical depression.

In order for a tropical depression to form, wind and water temperature come into play.

To fuel the system, there has to be enough moisture in the lower and middle part of the atmosphere and the water also has to be at least 80F.

Local winds also have to allow the depression to spin, as too much wind shear can dissipate an aspiring tropical cyclone.

With a tropical storm, the pressure in the center of the system drops, and air rushes in, allowing for strong winds to be made.

Should the system strengthen and wind speed rises past 39pmh, it is classified as a tropical storm and is also given a name.

For example, this happened with Hermine on Wednesday as it made its way into the Gulf of Mexico and intensified.

The National Hurricane Center determines when a tropical depression becomes a tropical storm, relying on data from islands and buoys as well as measurements taken from aircrafts flying into the storm to measure wind speed.

Tropical storms be upgraded to a hurricane if they pass over a region of particularly warm water and do not encounter a lot of wind shear.

When this happens, the pressure in the center of the system drops further and the winds speed up, causing the system to get rounder, usually forming a clearly defined 'eye.'

Hurricanes can then be downgraded back to tropical storms as they move over land or cooler water, and are no longer fueled by warm moist air.

Hurricanes are downgraded to tropical storm once wind speeds drop below 75mph, which is exactly what happened with Hermine after it made landfall in Florida on Friday.

As the storm is forecast to move back over the Atlantic Ocean next week and reaches record-warm ocean temperatures, it could strengthen into a hurricane again.

Source: Vox

In Florida, a homeless man died from a falling tree. Elsewhere, a group rescued four dolphins who were caught in the storm off the state's coast.

Hermine has also done something unusual - picked up birds from the Gulf of Mexico and carried them into the southeastern United States.

Birds can get sucked into a hurricane's spiral and they move toward the eye of the storm.

They tend to gravitate toward the eye, where the winds are calmer rather than fighting the wind on the other side of the hurricane.

The birds which survive will easily find their way back to shore after the storm dissipates.

For birders, people who watch birds, this phenomenon is called 'birding bonanza'.

But many feel the storm could strengthen back into a hurricane by Monday morning off the Maryland-Delaware coast before weakening again as it moves north

The timing couldn't be worse for communities along the coast hoping for revenue from Labor Day events.

In Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where the beach was closed to foot traffic and swimming prohibited Saturday, traffic was lighter than normal, said Jim Derrick, whose family businesses include a mini golf course, sea shell store, indoor bounce house and ice cream shop.

'I'm looking at the main road and it's a little stop and go. This weekend would normally be a parking lot,' he said in a telephone interview.

He called the weekend 'definitely disappointing,' although his indoor bounce house was packed.

Elsewhere along Hermine's path, people were having decidedly less fun.

Boats are pictured in the middle of a street in Steinhatchee on Friday after the landfall of Hurricane Hermine in Florida

The Big Deck bar and grill in Cedar Key suffered major damage as Hurricane Hermine passed through the area. 'Bring it on Hermine' had been written on wood cladding attached to the bar

People are pictured wading through a flooded street in Steinhatchee on Friday after Hurricane Hermine hit Florida

In Savannah, Georgia, Bacon Fest was canceled Friday and the Craft Brew Fest had to move beer tents indoors.

In Virginia Beach, the storm forced Bruce Springsteen to move a Saturday night concert to Monday. Swimmers were ordered out of the surf in New Jersey.

With thousands of Florida homes still without electricity on Saturday, governor Rick Scott said restoring power is his state's top priority.

'I want everybody to have their power. I want them to be able to take a hot shower,' he said.

As of 4pm, Florida's Division of Emergency Management said that 151,973 customers are without electricity in the state.

Charlie Valentine sweeps water out of the Sea Hag Marina (left) in Steinhatchee as Kristin Skipper helps clean up inside (right)

A trailer was destroyed after rain and wind from Hurricane Hermine hit the town of Keaton Beach, Florida

A large oak tree fell across the carport area of a Whataburger restaurant and another tree next to a preschool fell in the opposite direction, hitting a car parked nearby

Escaped: Darby Lee looks into the damaged bedroom of his brother and sister in laws apartment that had a tree fall on the roof early Friday morning in Jacksonville, Florida

Residents in Alligator Point, Florida look at a road that collapsed during the storm surge from Hurricane Hermine on Friday

Defense: Barbara Carroll surveys damage in and around her home from the storm surge caused by Hurricane Hermine which made landfall overnight in the area around Tampa

HERMINE BRINGS CANCELLATIONS AND POSTPONEMENT OF LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENTS

GEORGIA

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Friday closed the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in south Georgia.

The refuge, which was directly in Hermine's path, features vast swamplands inhabited by alligators. Spokesman Tom McKenzie said falling trees could prove dangerous to gators and other wildlife.

The National Park Service closed Georgia's Cumberland Island to visitors until Saturday morning. The barrier island is home to roughly 15 miles of federally protected wilderness. It's reachable only by boat.

The National Hurricane Center has placed the southern half of Georgia's 100-mile coast under a tropical storm watch.

All Savannah-Chatham Public School and administrative offices are closed.

Several college campuses also have closed as a precaution, including Albany State University and Darton State College, and their satellite locations in Cairo and Cordele.

Valdosta State and Georgia Southern also canceled all scheduled classes for Friday. Albany and Darton will reopen Tuesday.

A rally planned for Saturday in Fayetteville for Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence was also canceled.

Governor Nathan Deal has declared a state of emergency for 56 counties in parts of south, central and coastal Georgia.

In Savannah, the Bacon Fest, originally a three-day event from Friday through Sunday, will be held on Saturday and Sunday. And the Craft Brew Fest planned for outdoors has been moved inside the trade and convention center.

SOUTH CAROLINA

With tropical storm warnings in effect, public schools from Myrtle Beach to Hilton Head were closed as forecasters predicted as much as five inches of rain as the storm moved through.

The Citadel and the College of Charleston canceled classes and Joint Base Charleston, which consists of the Charleston Air Force Base and the Charleston Naval Weapons Station, also closed though essential personnel were asked to report to the base.

Local governments also closed their offices. South Carolina state offices closed in eight counties on or near the coast.

NASCAR postponed all track activity on Friday and canceled qualifying for its Sprint Cup and Xfinity races at Darlington Raceway.

Ferry boats that take visitors to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor where the Civil War began were not running Friday, and the national monument was to close at noon.

The popular open-air City Market in downtown Charleston, a must-see for millions of visitors to Charleston each year, also was closed Friday. The market is in an area that generally floods during heavy rains.

The Beach Boogie and BBQ Festival in Myrtle Beach was canceled for Friday evening but will be held Saturday.

Also, the Dorn Veteran Administration Medical Center in Columbia canceled appointments for several clinics ahead of the storm.

NORTH CAROLINA

The Fort Fisher State Historic Site near Wilmington and the Moores Creek National Battlefield closed Friday.

A fireworks show planned for the coastal community of Carolina Beach was postponed from Friday until Saturday.

Officials at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on the Outer Banks warned that dangerous rip currents were affecting beaches all along the seashore. Bridges in the area have since re-opened.

Governor Pat McCrory has declared a state of emergency in 33 counties in the eastern part of the state.

VIRGINIA

Old Dominion and Norfolk State universities have postponed their Saturday football home openers until Sunday because of the storm.

Old Dominion is scheduled to host Hampton University. Elizabeth City State University is set to visit Norfolk State.

Forecasters say the storm could bring heavy rains and high winds to the region on Saturday afternoon and evening.

DELAWARE

Sails in Lewes, Delaware, aboard a replica of the colonial ship Kalmar Nyckel have been canceled for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

NEW YORK

New York City public beaches will be closed to swimming on Sunday, and possibly Monday and Tuesday, because of the danger of rip tides associated with the storm. High waves and heavy rain also are forecast for Long Island and New York City on Sunday evening.

The agency tweeted the statistic Saturday, one per cent of Florida's homes and businesses were now without power in the wake of Hurricane Hermine.

The storm felled trees and wires across a wide swath of north Florida. The city of Tallahassee was hit especially hard.

Florida State University in Tallahassee tweeted Saturday that power was restored to a majority of buildings on the main campus.

Mother nature's roar: Melvin Gatlin Jr. walks to the back door of his father's house in Valdosta, Georgia

People venture out onto the Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier as roaring waves crash against the pilings

Cleanup: The Category 1 storm hit just east of St. Marks around 1:30 a.m. EDT with winds around 80 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center

Lucky escapes reported: An unknown number of people in Florida were taken to area hospitals with injuries that weren't thought to be life-threatening

Power of the storm: Hurricane Hermine made landfall in Florida's Big Bend area early Friday as the first hurricane to hit the state in more than a decade

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Damage: Part of a sea wall that collapsed is seen after Hurricane Hermine passed through overnight on Friday

FLORIDA GOVERNOR FEARS HERMINE COULD SPREAD ZIKA

A man surveying damage around his home stands in nearly waist-deep water on Friday in Tampa

Florida Governor Rick Scott fears Hurricane Hermine could spread Zika - and experts have said the weather will make it harder for the state to fight the virus.

Once Hermine passes, the remaining water 'will provide all kinds of breeding sites for the mosquitoes,' that can spread Zika, said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville.

'We have to get rid of standing water,' Governor Scott said, according to CBS. 'That's the most important thing we can do now and after the this storm hits.'

The hurricane is also likely to disrupt mosquito abatement activities as state authorities prioritize other emergency efforts.

On Thursday, Florida officials said they had trapped the first mosquitoes shown to have the Zika virus - a mosquito-borne virus shown to cause birth defects - after weeks of searching.

Schaffner said the finding showed there is a substantial amount of Zika in circulation.

Florida is the first state in the continental United States to confirm local Zika transmission, with 47 cases of infection so far, raising concerns among pregnant women and threatening the state's multibillion-dollar tourism industry.

First detected in Brazil last year, Zika can cause the rare birth defect microcephaly, marked by abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains, when pregnant women are infected.

Brazil, has confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly since last fall.

Earlier this week, Governor Scott urged residents and business owners to remain vigilant against Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes once the storm had passed.

Scott and other state officials have stressed the need to dump standing water and take other steps to eliminate breeding areas.

High winds from the hurricane will also make aerial spraying with pesticides impossible, disrupting a key effort by the state to keep mosquito populations under control, said Joseph Conlon, a retired U.S. Navy entomologist who serves as technical adviser for the American Mosquito Control Association.

Florida officials have been working to drain water in containers on residents' property and scrub away rings of eggs, but fresh rains from a large storm could refill them, and any remaining eggs could hatch.

Conlon said the storm will also likely hatch hoards of flood water mosquitoes that present a nuisance, but do not carry disease.

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