Tropical Storm Marco is fizzling out. But first advisory for Laura issued for MS Coast.
All watches and warnings were canceled Monday afternoon for Tropical Storm Marco as the storm neared the southeast Louisiana coastline.
But advisories for Tropical Storm Laura have already quickly followed.
The National Hurricane Center at 4 p.m. issued a storm surge watch for the Mississippi Coast for the next 48 hours, and hurricane and tropical storm warnings were issued along the south Louisiana coast.
Laura brings a risk of life-threatening storm surge from Ocean Springs to San Luis Pass, Texas.
Marco made landfall around the mouth of the Mississippi River around 6 p.m., the National Weather Service office in New Orleans said.
As of 7 p.m. it was barely a tropical storm, as strong wind shear blowing up from the southwest all day kept rainfall to the northeast side of the storm.
Most of Marco’s rain spun north over Pensacola and the Florida panhandle, where the storm caused rough surf and prompted more than 30 rescues due to rip currents, WEAR-TV reports.
The forecast for Marco called for wind gusts, spotty heavy rains and some coastal flooding in low-lying areas through Monday evening.
Hurricane Hunter aircraft had detected a small area of tropical storm-force winds in Marco, the NHC said at 4 p.m., but the wind shear kept it from strengthening. It is forecast to be a tropical depression Monday night, and a low by Tuesday morning.
Tropical Storm Laura is expected to clear Cuba on Tuesday and steer into warmer Gulf waters. It should strengthen into a hurricane before reaching the northwestern Gulf Coast by late Wednesday or early Thursday.
There will be “very strong onshore flow,” NWS meteorologist Chris Brannan said in a Facebook Live, and 3-5 feet of storm surge is possible in Harrison and Jackson counties if Laura’s track stays as is.
The NHC also warned that storm surge, wind and rainfall hazards will extend well away from Laura’s center.
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 1:46 PM.
