Marco could skirt coastline before landfall, forecast says. Laura is getting closer.
Two tropical systems churning toward the Gulf Coast could affect Mississippi this week — potentially as back-to-back hurricanes, forecasters say.
Hurricane Marco’s path has shifted drastically, forecasters said in a 4 p.m. CDT update Sunday. The majority of models now show the storm staying offshore of the northern Gulf Coast over the next few days instead of “moving inland over Louisiana” on Monday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center says.
“Based on this shift in track, tropical storm conditions are expected farther west along the Louisiana coast, and a Tropical Storm Warning has been issued from Morgan City to Cameron, Louisiana. It should be noted that if the trend in the models are correct, some of the impacts over portions of the north-central Gulf coast could be lessened,” the forecast says.
Hurricane Marco is forecast to bring heavy rain, strong winds and “life-threatening storm surge” to parts of the Gulf Coast starting Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm’s winds could reach Mississippi by Monday morning, forecasters say.
The storm strengthened from a tropical storm Sunday morning, the National Hurricane Center said in an update at 11:30 a.m. CDT. The storm’s intensity has not changed as of 7 p.m.
Tropical storm winds range from 39-73 mph, while hurricane winds exceed 74 mph, the NWS says.
Hurricane-force winds extend 15 miles from the storm’s center and tropical-storm force winds extend up to 105 miles, forecasters say.
As of 4 p.m., the Category One storm was 180 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.
It’s moving north-northwest at 13 mph. Models are still in agreement that it will stay on a north-northwest motion then northwest motion into Monday morning, the hurricane center says.
Several advisories have been issued for parts of the Mississippi coast, the SunHerald reports. Harrison and Hancock counties are under a tropical storm warning and a storm surge warning while Jackson County is under a tropical storm warning and storm surge watch. Pearl River, Stone and George counties are under a tropical storm watch.
“A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours. A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours,” the National Hurricane Center says.
Hurricane watches and warnings are also in effect for parts of the Gulf Coast.
The storm is expected to dump 2 to 4 inches of rain, with up to 6 inches possible in some areas along the Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center says.
Marco is not expected to strengthen over the next 24 hours and should weaken after that. It could become a “remnant low” by Tuesday night.
But another storm is right behind it.
As Marco tracks away from the area, Tropical Storm Laura will be moving into the central Gulf of Mexico, the National Weather Service says.
The storm could bring rain, strong winds and storm surge to the Gulf Coast by the middle of the week after strengthening in the Gulf of Mexico, meaning a “prolonged period of hazardous weather for areas that may also be affected by Marco,” according to the weather service.
Laura should “quickly intensify into a hurricane” in the Gulf of Mexico, the NWS says, and winds could reach Mississippi early Tuesday. The storm is also expected spawn tornadoes, the National Weather Service says.
The storm is expected to become a hurricane Tuesday night.
Laura’s forecast remains uncertain as its track continues to shift, according to the weather service. As of 7 p.m. Sunday, it’s expected to make landfall between the coast of Texas and the border of Mississippi and Louisiana.
A tropical storm watch in effect Sunday for parts of the Florida Keys, where the storm is expected to dump 1 to 3 inches of rain.
As of 7 p.m. CDT Sunday, Laura was located about 30 miles south of Guantanamo, Cuba with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. It’s moving west-northwest at 21 mph.
Tropical-storm force wind extend 140 miles from the center.
Parts of southern Mississippi are on the east side of both storms, which usually means it’s expected to feel the strongest winds and see the most rain, according to the weather service.
This story was originally published August 23, 2020 at 10:20 AM.
