TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE FORMS! HEAVY RAINFALL CAUSING DANGEROUS FLOODING REMAINS THE PRIMARY HAZARD
Tropical Storm Claudette formed early this morning after coming ashore in southeast Louisiana on Saturday. Millions across the South are under storm warnings, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The maximum sustained winds are at 45 mph, according to NHC.
Tropical storm warnings remain unchanged throughout the region, and the main threats are heavy rainfall and tropical-storm-force winds.
TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE
Claudette is forecast to weaken into a tropical depression by tonight and become post-tropical on Sunday. The system is then forecast to re-develop over the western Atlantic Ocean on Monday as it moves away from the East Coast of the US.
SUMMARY OF 700 AM CDT...1200 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...30.4N 90.1W ABOUT 30 MI...45 KM N OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA ABOUT 120 MI...195 KM W OF MOBILE ALABAMA MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...45 MPH...75 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...NNE OR 15 DEGREES AT 12 MPH...19 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1006 MB...29.71 INCHES
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * East of Morgan City, Louisiana to the Okaloosa/Walton County line Florida. * Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Metropolitan New Orleans
DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK ---------------------- At 700 AM CDT (1200 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Claudette was located inland near latitude 30.4 North, longitude 90.1 West. Claudette is moving toward the north-northeast near 12 mph (19 km/h). A turn toward the northeast is expected later today, followed by a motion toward the east-northeast tonight or Sunday. On the forecast track, the system should move farther inland over Louisiana during the next few hours, then move across portions of the southeastern states later today and Sunday, and over the western Atlantic Ocean on Monday. Maximum sustained winds remain near 45 mph (75 km/h) with higher gusts. Claudette is expected to weaken to a tropical depression by tonight and become a post-tropical cyclone on Sunday. The system is forecast to become a tropical storm again over the western Atlantic Ocean on Monday.
