Two storms aim for the Gulf Coast at the same time. Has that ever happened?
Two tropical systems have the potential to batter the Gulf Coast with wind and rain next week.
The potential for two tropical storms or hurricanes making U.S. landfall around the same time is “as unusual as it sounds,” according to The Weather Channel.
If the systems develop into hurricanes, they would be the first to reach the Gulf at one time, according to meteorologist Jason Dunning with WBBH in Florida.
Tropical Depression 13, which was upgraded Friday morning to Tropical Storm Laura, is expected to march toward Mississippi and surrounding states, possibly reaching the coastline by Wednesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. Officials said it could hit the region with storm surge, rain and wind.
Meanwhile, Tropical Depression 14 is forecast to be in the Gulf at the same time. Its path is west of Mississippi, but the system could bring tropical storm-force winds to the state as early as Monday evening, according to forecasters.
“Some strengthening is anticipated while it moves northwestward over the central Gulf of Mexico early next week, but it is too soon to know exactly how strong it will get or the location and magnitude of impacts it will produce along the central or northwestern Gulf Coast,” officials said.
The exact tracks are still uncertain for the systems, which are expected to get stronger within the next few days, the National Hurricane Center said in its 2 p.m. ET update Friday. Tropical Depression 14 would become Tropical Storm Marco, the earliest M named storm in the history of Atlantic hurricane seasons, The Weather Channel said.
”Heavy rainfall is expected to be the main threat with strong winds and elevated tides also possible,” the National Weather Service’s New Orleans office posted Friday morning on Twitter.
Two to 6 inches of rain could fall Monday through Thursday, with the potential for higher amounts in some areas, according to the weather service. Forecasters urge people near coastal Mississippi to pay attention to forecast updates.
“Now is the time to prepare if you live along the Gulf Coast,” Mississippi Emergency Management Agency wrote Friday morning in a Facebook post. “Please make sure your emergency supply kit is ready to go and you have a plan in place.”
Tropical Storm Laura was roughly 175 miles southeast of the Caribbean’s Northern Leeward Islands on Friday afternoon. It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was moving toward the west, forecasters said.
At the same time, Tropical Depression 14 was about 180 miles northeast of Isla Roatan in Honduras. It packed maximum sustained winds of 35 mph on its path to the northwest, according to the forecast.
Two hurricanes in close proximity can create the potential for a phenomenon known as the Fujiwhara effect.
“If one hurricane is a lot stronger than the other, the smaller one will orbit it and eventually come crashing into its vortex to be absorbed,” the National Weather Service said on its website. “Two storms closer in strength can gravitate towards each other until they reach a common point and merge, or merely spin each other around for a while before shooting off on their own paths.”
The storms usually end up coming together into one large one, the weather service said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
This story was originally published August 21, 2020 at 7:40 AM.
