The U.S. Gulf Coast was defeated Sunday by a potentially devastating hit by twin hurricanes as two strong storms hit the U.S. off the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Officials feared a historic outbreak of life-threatening winds and flooding from Louisiana to Alabama.
A storm named Marco grew into a hurricane as it moved the Gulf of Mexico toward Louisiana. Another potential hurricane, Tropical Storm Laura, defeated the Dominican Republic and Haiti and targeted the same region of the U.S. coast.
The strength of such storms may erupt and flow, but it could be the first time two hurricanes have formed in the Gulf of Mexico at the same time, according to records dating to at least 1900, said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.
“What we do know is that there will be storm surge from Marco, we know that water will hardly diminish at all before Laura hits, and that we have not seen this before and that is why people need to pay special attention,” Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said at a briefing on Sunday.
With the potential, the storms could overlap, allowing parts of Louisiana, especially in south-central parts of the state, to see rain up to 2ft, said Benjamin Schott, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service bureau in Slidell, Louisiana.
On the main drag on the barrier island of Grand Isle, south of New Orleans, Starfish Restaurant manager Nicole Fantiny could see people driving off the island.
“They all pack up and leave,” she said, talking about people who own houses on the island and go out for holidays and weekend trips.
Fanity lives full time on the island and did not plan to leave, at least for Marco, but she was worried about the possible one-two punch of Marco followed by Laura. Her husband works with the city’s fire and police departments, so she said they are always one of the last to leave.
“My house was built in 1938, so I think we are fine,” she said hopefully.
