Marco brings rain and wind to Gulf Coast, watches issued for Laura. Here’s the latest
Tropical Storm Marco continued to weaken Monday after being downgraded from a hurricane overnight, but the drop in wind speed may be little consolation to a stretch of Mississippi coast destined to feel the impact of another tropical storm later in the week.
Hurricane and storm surge watches were issued Monday afternoon along portions of the Gulf Coast ahead of Tropical Storm Laura, which is expected to reach the northwestern Gulf Coast as a hurricane late Wednesday or early Thursday following Marco, the National Hurricane Center said in a 4 p.m. CDT update.
Marco had significantly weakened by the National Hurricane Center’s 1 p.m. CDT update — now with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. Tropical storm and storm surge warnings for the Gulf Coast were discontinued.
Tropical storm-force winds are no longer expected to reach the northern Gulf Coast. Marco is expected to weaken to a tropical depression Monday night and to a remnant low by Tuesday, the hurricane center said in a 4 p.m. CDT update.
As it continues to weaken it’s expected to shift to the west-northwest. Marco was 15 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River at 4 p.m. CDT Monday and moving northwest at 7 mph.
The Gulf Coast is still expected to feel some impacts from the system.
“Gusty winds, heavy rainfall, and lingering coastal flooding are expected from Marco along portions of the Gulf Coast through this evening,” the National Hurricane Center said Monday afternoon.
Marco could dump between 2 and 4 inches of rain along some “portions of the northeast and north-central Gulf coast” with up to 7 inches possible in some areas through Tuesday, forecasters say.
Tropical Storm Laura
Laura is expected to be a hurricane when it reaches the northwestern Gulf Coast, bringing “storm surge, wind and rainfall hazards” along the Gulf Coast, forecasters say. It’s forecast to make landfall near the Louisiana-Texas border.
A storm surge watch has been issued from San Luis Pass, Texas to Ocean Springs in Mississippi as these areas are at risk of a “life-threatening” storm surge in the next 48 hours, the hurricane center says.
“The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” the forecast says.
Between 4 and 6 feet of surge are possible from Morgan City, Louisiana, to the Mouth of the Mississippi River
A tropical storm watch is issued for “south of Port Bolivar to San Luis Pass Texas and from Morgan City to the Mouth of the Mississippi River,” forecasters say.
Other portions of the Gulf Coast are under a hurricane watch.
The storm is crossing Cuba on Monday, bringing heavy rainfall and life threatening flash flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Winds from Tropical Storm Laura could be felt in southern Mississippi as early as late Tuesday.
The storm currently has sustained winds of 60 mph and is moving at 20 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm’s winds are extending 175 miles from the center, experts say.
Early projections show the storm hitting the western coast of Louisiana near the Texas state line, then banking east toward the Carolinas as it moves inland.
Much of the Gulf Coast is expected to be on the right, or the “dirty side,” of the storm’s path as of Sunday’s projections, according to the National Weather Service. The right side of a storm is often referred to as its “dirty side” or “the bad side.”
It is the storm’s more dangerous side. The “right side” of a storm is in relation to the direction it’s moving, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. If it’s going north, the right side is east.
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 6:05 AM with the headline "Marco brings rain and wind to Gulf Coast, watches issued for Laura. Here’s the latest."