New Tropical System Updates: New Storm Brewing in the Caribbean Could Hit Soaking Gulf Coast and Florida, Could Be Named Hermine
New storm could intensify and could be named Hermine; will hit Florida and possibly make second landfall along the Gulf of Mexico and affect Louisiana once more.
A new tropical storm is developing in the Caribbean. It is forecast to become stronger and hit the soaked Gulf Coast and Florida in just a few days. Meteorologists said that the new weather system has a 60-percent chance of becoming a tropical storm. If this happens, this tropical depression will be called Hermine.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Hermine will be the eighth storm to hit the country in 2016. Hermine is not officially a storm yet and is still called weather disturbance 99L
Hermine's possible second landfall
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As Hermine develops into a full storm, it will make its first landfall in Florida. It then may be pushed further into the Gulf of Mexico, where it could possibly make its second landfall. Meteorologist Jon Erdman from weather.com said that this could happen somewhere near the Gulf Coast next week. Erdman is tracking the storm's path. He predicts that this will move through Florida or along the Florida Straits and then it will move through the Gulf Coast.
Terrible news for Louisiana flood victims
Victims of the catastrophic flooding in Louisiana have not recovered yet, with still thousands of residents with homes underwater. Some are still in evacuation centers, while some are seeking refuge elsewhere. Thirteen people were reported to have perished from the flooding. If reports are correct, Hermine would worsen the conditions in Louisiana.
Timothy Destri from the National Weather Service New Orleans office said that the area could again experience flooding. He added that if the storm moves to the west part of the state, this could bring unprecedented rainfall into Louisiana again.
Hermine is currently located 1,000 miles southeast of Miami around Wednesday afternoon. It could move west to west-northwest along the Dominican Republic and Haiti come Thursday.
The first hurricane in Florida since 2005
According to Dan Kottlowski, of AccuWeather, if Hermine hits Florida, then the storm will be officially the first hurricane to affect the Florida Peninsula since Wilma struck in October 2005.
But no matter what happens, whether the system intensifies or not, it could bring about strong winds, extreme rain and flash floods. The areas along the northeastern Caribbean Sea and the Bahamas should also expect mudslides due to heavy rain.
Kottlowski further warned people who live near or who are planning to travel to the areas of the Bahamas, Cuba, and Florida to monitor Hermine's movements over the weekend. Residents in the area are also advised to follow weather reports online and through social media to find out the latest updates for possible tropical storm Hermine.
