Tropical Storm Cristobal expected to bring storm surge to Gulf Coast this week
Tropical storm and storm surge watches are expected for much of the Gulf Coast as Cristobal will likely strengthen in the coming days, forecasters say.
The advisories could be issued as soon as Thursday night or Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The slow-moving storm is bringing heavy rains to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and parts of Central America, with “deadly flooding” and mudslides, the Hurricane Center said Thursday.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for much of coastal Louisiana and Mississippi.
Forecasters say the storm could bring flooding and “tropical storm-force winds” as soon as this weekend between Louisiana and the Florida Big Bend.
“These hazards, along with heavy rainfall, will arrive well in advance of and extend well east of Cristobal’s center,” the Hurricane Center said.
As of Thursday, Cristobal had sustained winds of 35 mph and was moving east-southeast at 3 mph.
Portions of southeast Louisiana and Mississippi could see tropical storm force winds arrive by 8 p.m. Saturday as the storm moves closer to the United States. The storm’s path has shifted slightly, with the cone of uncertainty expected over portions of East Texas and much of Arkansas, forecasts show.
Storms Thursday night into Friday could pose “a localized flood threat” with rainfall becoming more widespread.
A flood watch remains in effect for the region through 7 a.m. on June 9, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The Gulf of Mexico is also under a tropical storm warning as the storm continues to wash out southern Mexico and portions of the Yucatan Peninsula, forecasts show. Extreme rain and coastal flooding are the greatest threats to the area.
Forecasters predict this hurricane season will be busier than usual. Cristobal is the third named storm to hit the Atlantic and follows two other named storms that barreled toward the east coast before hurricane season — which runs June 1 through Nov. 30 — officially began, McClatchy News reported.
This story was originally published June 4, 2020 at 11:10 AM with the headline "Tropical Storm Cristobal expected to bring storm surge to Gulf Coast this week."