Two tropical storms were reported Monday toward the Gulf Coast. Marco and Laura could only be a few hundred miles apart within 48 hours of each other. Forecasters believe Laura could be a major hurricane if it makes landfall, and residents in low-lying areas are being ordered to evacuate.
Marco is expected to hit the Louisiana coast on Monday. The storm was intensified after a hurricane Sunday, but has since weakened to a tropical storm. As of 2 p.m. ET, Marco was located about 40 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, and it was heading northwest at 6 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Meanwhile, Laura, what infected the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which left millions without power and killed at least 11, are expected to beat the US on Wednesday night or Thursday. Forecasters expect the storm to bring widespread flooding and life-threatening storm surge.
Reuters / Andres Martinez Casares
The storms were on their way to the U.S. ahead of the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina devastating New Orleans. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said the window between the two storms could be as bad as 12 hours – and it comes amid the coronavirus pandemic, an added challenge as people leave their homes and go to shelters.
It was not expected that Laura would weaken over land before moving into warm, deep Gulf waters, which forecasters said could bring rapid intensification. “We will only remove the bullet so many times. And the current forecast for Laura has focused intensively on Louisiana,” Edwards said in a news release.
Shrimp tractors and fishing boats were tied up in a Louisiana harbor prior to the storms. Red flags warned swimmers away from the crashing surf. Both personal classes and virtual school sessions required due to the pandemic were canceled in some districts.
A food bank that has been twice as busy as usual since March, offering food to people affected by the pandemic who are ready to shut down for a few days due to the weather, but not before a final round of facilities’ the need was divided. “We are very tired,” said Lawrence DeHart, director of Terrebonne Churches United Foodbank in Houma.
State emergencies were declared in Louisiana and Mississippi, and shelters were opened with cots placed far apart, among other measures designed to curb infections. “The virus is not concerned that we have hurricanes, so that will not take time off and neither can we,” Edwards said.
CIRA / NOAA / Handout via Reuters
Several hours away from the Louisiana coast, a running Marco continued to collapse. By late Monday morning, meteorologists could no longer find tropical storm winds in their rough center.
It remained a tropical storm only due to stronger winds to the northeast. Therefore, the National Hurricane Center canceled some warnings for tropical storms, but kept them for the New Orleans region and further east to the border of Mississippi and Alabama, where Marco still had some strength.
The threat of 2 to 4 feet of storm surge persisted. Hampered by strong cross winds that escaped the storm, Marco was expected to lose tropical storm design late Monday, the hurricane center said.
While Marco weakened, Laura’s potential became stronger, and forecasters raised the possibility of a major hurricane that would pummel western Louisiana and eastern Texas from late Wednesday through Thursday. Once Laura passed through Cuba, the system could quickly intensify over hot water, which acts as fuel to supercharge the storm.
Forecasters predict winds of 105 mph before landfall, but some models showed an even stronger storm.
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