Western Florida, North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and Hawaii are each prepping for tropical storm systems this week.
Advertisement
Sarasota County is handing out sandbags to residents at three locations from 2:30 to 6 p.m. and from 9 a.m. ti 6 p.m. on Wednesday. The mountainous island has probably helped shred the storm somewhat, raising concern that, as it pulls away, the depression could power up. It’s expected to slowly intensify over the next 48 hours and could become a tropical storm later Tuesday, forecasters said.
A tropical storm watch has been issued for North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
An 11 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center said the tropical depression could become a named storm later in the day.
Total rain accumulations are still between 3 and 5 inches in the area through Friday morning, in addition to summer thunderstorms that will pass through, officials said. Tropical storm conditions are possible there by Thursday, so Florida residents along the Gulf Coast need to continue to monitor this system.
The forecast track for Tropical Depression Eight has it edging to the west, meaning the Lowcountry could feel an increased impact by Friday afternoon.
The double tropical cyclones threatening the USA while Hurricane Gaston looms in the central Atlantic come after NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center forecasted that the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30, would be the most active hurricane season in four years.
No watches or warnings are in effect for Tropical Depression 9, though the storm is forecast to make landfall along the northeastern Gulf Coast between Alabama and the northwestern Florida Peninsula later this week, according to AccuWeather.
While much of north Florida is now dry, the Suwannee River Valley is at greater risk of flash flooding due to the heavy rainfall in August. The depression is moving toward the northwest near 5 miles per hour.
As of Tuesday afternoon, it was southeast of Cape Hatteras, with top sustained winds of 35 miles per hour, and moving to the northwest.
Advertisement
Much closer to home of the US mainland are Tropical Depression (has winds sustained at 30-38 mph) Eight and Nine. “Now is the time to get prepared since we know our state will likely be impacted over the next few days”.
