Tropical system Eta could creep into the Gulf by next week, forecasts show
Tropical Depression Eta is expected to take aim at the Cayman Islands this weekend before heading towards south Florida and then likely shifting northwest into the Gulf.
The forecast track is still unclear, but the latest trend has been a slight shift to the east—good news for Louisiana and Mississippi, according to the New Orleans office of the National Weather Service. The NWS says it could be a week before the storm-weary Gulf Coast sees any effects. For now, though, forecasters say there are “no immediate concerns.”
“There are some uncertainties, and confidence is very low. However there is a chance (Eta) could move toward the north-central Gulf Coast late next week,” NWS New Orleans meteorologist Christopher Bannon told McClatchy News on Thursday, adding that the most likely days it could cause issues are Thursday or Friday of next week.
Eta made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Nicaragua on Tuesday, NBC News reported. It has since weakened to a depression dumping heavy rainfall across portions of Central America, according to the National Hurricane Center. The system could cause “catastrophic” flooding and landslides in the region before turning back into the Caribbean Sea, where it’s forecast to regain strength.
The Cayman Islands are under a tropical storm warning ,and parts of Cuba are under a tropical storm watch.
The National Weather Service cautioned that tropical storm or hurricane watches could be required for parts of southern Florida and the Florida Keys later today.
Bannon said potential impacts on the Gulf Coast depend on the strength of other systems in the area.
“They could lift (Eta) off to the northeast, or if they bypass it, leave it sitting over the Gulf of Mexico for another day or two before having it slowly drift back to the north,” he explained.
As of Friday morning, tropical depression Eta was southeast of the Yucatan Peninsula, just north of Honduras, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The system is traveling northwest at about 7 mph.
This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 4:42 PM.