ORLANDO, Fla. – The system in the Gulf, officially Tropical Cyclone Three, will likely become Tropical Storm Claudette on Friday, dumping heavy rain on the northern Gulf Coast.
The poorly-organized disturbance was located early Friday about 390 miles south of Morgan City, Louisiana, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. It was moving north at 9 mph. A system becomes a tropical storm when its winds reach 39 mph.
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A tropical storm warning is in effect for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama -- extending from Intracoastal City, Louisiana, to the Alabama-Florida border, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards late Thursday issued a state of emergency due to the potential weather threats. The move is an administrative step that authorizes the use of state resources to aid in storm response efforts, the governor’s office said.
The system is expected to produce up to 8 inches of rain across the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, and up to 12 inches through the weekend from the central U.S. Gulf Coast northeastward into the Southern Appalachians.
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The combination of 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 hurricane center said. The water could reach the heights of about 1-3 feet.
There have already been two named storms during the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. Meteorologists expect the season to be busy, but not as crazy as the record-breaking 2020 season.
After Claudette, the next named storm will be called Danny.
Here is the 5 a.m. advisory and forecast track from the National Hurricane Center. pic.twitter.com/nswtqcDrHs
— Jonathan Kegges (@JonathanKegges) June 18, 2021
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