A tropical storm warning has been issued for a section of Louisiana’s coast as a powerful weather system approaches from the Gulf of Mexico.
A tropical storm warning has been issued for a section of Louisiana’s coast as a powerful weather system approaches from the Gulf of Mexico that is expected to drop heavy rain and bring strong winds.
The warning is in effect from Cameron, Louisiana, to Intracoastal City, as the system’s maximum sustained winds early Tuesday are near 40 mph.
Forecasters say the Alabama and Mississippi coasts could be inundated with as much as 15 inches of rain.
The heaviest rains are expected in an area that includes the port city of Mobile, Alabama, and the cities of Pascagoula and Biloxi in Mississippi.
The forecast shows an even wider area from southeastern Louisiana into the western Florida Panhandle could receive as much as 10 inches of rain over three days.
The National Weather Service issued an expanded flash flood watch for the area Tuesday, and forecasters say the flooding threat will continue through Thursday night.
The National Hurricane Center says the storm is expected to move inshore early Thursday near the Louisiana-Texas line before weakening and moving northeastward in a sweeping arc.
As of 5am Tuesday, the system is centered about 305 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River and is moving northwest near 8 mph.
If the weather system reaches tropical storm criteria, it will be named Cindy.
‘It will be important to focus not necessarily on the exact track, as strong winds high in the atmosphere will pull shower and thunderstorm activity well away from the low center, ‘ explained AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
That could mean a risk of dangerous flooding, rough seas and damaging winds across the region.
And whatever happens, Florida looks like it’s in for a rough time regardless.
‘Enough tropical moisture will spread from the Florida Peninsula to the Florida Panhandle and more of the central Gulf coast as the week progresses, ‘ Sosnowski said.
‘People in this area should be prepared for rounds of torrential rain that can lead to dangerous flooding and travel disruptions.’
Unusually, a second tropical storm looks set to form in the Atlantic as the same time as the Gulf of Mexico cyclone.
It’s set to rock Trinidad and Tobago, as well as other southeastern Caribbean islands with heavy rain and strong winds.
‘It’s not so uncommon to get a named storm in the Atlantic during June, ‘ Weather Underground told USA Today. ‘But it’s remarkable to have two potential tropical cyclones at the same time during mid-June.’
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Bret is moving along South America’s northern coast. Its maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph with weakening expected to begin later in the day.
