Tropical Storm Gordon Enters Northern Gulf Coast, To Make Landfall As Hurricane Tonight

Tropical Storm Gordon is quickly heading west-northwest at 17 mph with sustained 65 mph winds toward a landfall tonight along the northern Gulf Coast as a Category 1 hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has declared a hurricane warning from the mouth of the Pearl River, Mississippi, to the border between Alabama and Florida. The NHC expects hurricane-force winds (+74 mph) to arrive in the area indicated by late Tuesday evening.

Tropical storm warnings have been published from west of the mouth of the Pearl River, Mississippi, to east of Morgan City, Louisiana, including Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas, as well as from the Alabama-Florida border to the Okaloosa-Walton County line in Florida.

According to Mike’s Weather Page, Gordon is still moving fast…which is suppressing the strength of the tropical storm for now. The group indicates the composition of the storm is “sloppy” from the overnight — with a firm confirmation that “landfall is coming tonight.”

“Current AM satellite on Gordon. He is racing towards landfall later tonight. Forward speed has helped keep organization down. Hurricane Hunters are in now and seems pressure still above 1000mb. Will watch next several hours and see if he can make a run towards Hurricane status,” said Mike’s Weather Page.

Dangerous rainbands are now moving toward the Florida Gulf Coast, but have cleared the rest of the Florida Peninsula.

According to the NHC, Gordon is projected to be a Category 1 right before it makes landfall on the northern Gulf Coast tonight with landfall expected along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

The heaviest rainfall from Gordon is expected from the northern Gulf Coast to parts of Arkansas through Thursday. Localized totals in some regions could exceed 12 inches of rain.

By late Tuesday afternoon, tropical-storm-force winds are expected to arrive on the northern Gulf Coast for the posted tropical storm warning area. Hurricane-force winds are expected in the hurricane warning area by late Tuesday evening.

The NHC said the immediate coast near the landfall location (Biloxi, Mississippi) could see storm surges accompanied by large waves. Here are places that NHC has labeled at risk for flooding:

  • Shell Beach, Louisiana, to Dauphin Island, Alabama: 3 to 5 feet
  • Navarre, Florida, to the Dauphin Island, Alabama, including Mobile Bay: 2 to 4 feet
  • Shell Beach, Louisiana, to the mouth of Mississippi River: 2 to 4 feet
  • Mouth of the Mississippi River to the Louisiana-Texas border: 1 to 2 feet

Global Plus Hurricane Models for Gordon

Significant power outages are expected where the tropical storm and hurricane warnings are posted along the northern Gulf Coast.

Oil prices jumped on Tuesday after the evacuation of two Gulf of Mexico oil platforms in preparation for Gordon. Oil assets and Gordon’s path are overlaid in the chart below.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency, saying hundreds of National Guard members would be deployed in coastal areas. The governors of Alabama, Florida, and Texas said they were monitoring developments.

“Our state will be ready for whatever Gordon may bring,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said.

What is social media saying about the storm?

“Ah man this just posted…Jim Cantore landed at our local airport. This means that the news isn’t good for our area!” said one Twitter user.

Another user said “bread and water” cleared out of a local Walmart in Lousiana.

Video of Gordon rolling through South Florida on Monday.

Meanwhile another storm is brewing in the Atlantic

via RSS https://ift.tt/2wHsghk Tyler Durden

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