Tropical Storm Laura is aiming to bring heavy rains and gusty winds to Cuba Sunday night as it approaches the Gulf of Mexico and heads toward Louisiana as a hurricane.
The National Hurricane Center 5 p.m. update said heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding is likely for the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and Jamaica. And hurricane hunter planes found Laura to be strengthening.
The center early Sunday reported a “significant westward shift” in Laura’s track that took it further away from Florida, barreling over Cuba before making a gradual turn to the north and making landfall as a potential Category 2 hurricane from Louisiana to possibly eastern Texas early Thursday morning.
This unprecedented landfall is expected two days after forecasters say another storm - Marco - is likely to strike the eastern Louisiana coast. Marco became a Category 1 hurricane midday Sunday – prompting hurricane warnings for portions of the state and storm surge warnings for parts of Louisiana and Mississippi.
According to the Associated Press, this would be the first time two hurricanes emerged in the Gulf of Mexico simultaneously, dating back to 1900.
As of Sunday at 5 p.m., Laura was located about 50 miles south of Guantanamo, Cuba, and moving west-northwest at 21 mph, according to the hurricane center. Maximum sustained winds are at 60 mph with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend out up to 140 miles.
The center of Laura will pass near or over Cuba tonight and Monday and move over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico Monday night and Tuesday. Forecasters say conditions – including reduced wind shear and the warm Gulf waters -- are favorable for Laura to intensify into a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday or Tuesday night.
The Florida Keys dropped a Tropical Storm Watch at 5 p.m. Sunday but Laura could still produce 1-3 inches of rain as it skirts around the state, forecasters said. However, portions of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba could see 4-8 inches, with isolated maximum totals of 12 inches that could result in life-threatening flooding, dangerous surf, and possible mudslides.
Compact Marco quickly gained strength overnight, and reached hurricane strength late Sunday morning with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph with higher gusts.
The storm was located about 240 miles southeast of the southern mouth of the Mississippi River and moving to the north-northwest at 13 mph, according to the 5 p.m. report Sunday.
Forecasters say Marco will produce hurricane conditions along the Louisiana coast by midday Monday. Areas from the Florida Panhandle to eastern Texas should prepare for heavy rains, dangerous storm surge and tides 2-4 feet above normal.
According to the National Weather Service, the greater Tampa Bay region can expect breezy conditions with a chance of fast-moving showers and thunderstorms that will produce locally heavy rain through Tuesday. Seas will also be rough, with above-normal tides with a higher risk for rip currents.
