Avian Flu Diary: NHC: Hurricane Watch Issued For Northern Gulf Coast

#15,491

At 11 am EST the National Hurricane Center in Miami issued a Hurricane Watch for the northern Gulf Coast, from High Island, Texas to Grand Isle, Louisiana.

Watch conditions will probably raised to Warnings later today or tonight, as the storm is now roughly only 48 hours from a U.S. landfall.

In addition:

A Storm Surge Watch has been issued for the northern Gulf coast from High Island, Texas, to the Alabama/Florida border including Calcasieu Lake, Vermilion Bay, Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, Lake Borgne and Mobile Bay.
A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued along the Texas coast from west of High Island to San Luis Pass. A Tropical Storm Watch has also been issued along the northern Gulf coast from east of Grand Isle, Louisiana, to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, including the city of New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas.

Hurricane Delta - currently a CAT 2 storm with 105 MPH winds - is forecast to intensify to a CAT 3 storm before landfall, and may have winds of 120 MPH or more as it approaches the coast Storm surge is likely to be a significant factor with this hurricane.

The 11 am Key Messages from the NHC:

Most of the models are in good agreement as to Delta's path, but some movement east or west is still possible. Intensity forecasts are the least reliable part of the forecast, and while the storm could lose some of its punch before it reaches the coast, no one should count on that.

Residents in the path of this storm should make all possible preparations for what could be a Major Hurricane arriving on Friday. Those who are on twitter should follow @FEMA, @NHC_Atlantic, and @ReadyGov and of course take direction from their local Emergency Management Office.

For some recent blogs on preparing for hurricanes you may wish to revisit: