Marco weakens into a tropical storm; Tropical Storm Laura grows stronger: see latest track

August 24, 2020 3oliver

Marco weakened into a tropical storm on Sunday night just before its anticipated landfall over southeast Louisiana, while a strengthening Tropical Storm Laura continued to move toward the Gulf of Mexico and brought heavy rains to Cuba and Jamaica, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm Marco is located about 185 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving north-northwest at 12 mph. It has maximum sustained winds of 70 mph.

Because Marco weakened, NHC said the Hurricane Watch from Intracoastal City to west of Morgan City was canceled. The storm is expected to rapidly weaken on Tuesday as well.

Forecasters said Sunday night the storm is expected to reach Louisiana’s coast some time Monday afternoon and move near or over the state’s coastline toward Texas through Tuesday.

The storm could bring 3 to 5 inches of rain with isolated maximum amounts reaching 10 inches in the northeast and north-central Gulf Coast on Tuesday. Forecasters said flooding is possible in these areas.

Tropical Storm Laura is currently located 125 miles southeast of Camaguey, Cuba. It continues to head in a west-northwest direction at 21 mph with sustained winds of 65 mph.

Forecasters expected Tropical Storm Laura will form into a hurricane on Tuesday morning around the same time it reaches the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.

Laura’s current track shows it reaching Louisiana’s coast near the Texas border on Wednesday evening. The storm is expected to bring 5-10 inches of rain with isolated amounts of 15 inches near the Louisiana and Texas border and in the Mississippi Valley from late Wednesday to Friday.

Widespread flash and urban flooding is a possibility, forecasters said.

Here are all the watches and warnings impacting Louisiana:

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for Morgan City, Louisiana to Ocean Springs, Mississippi; Lake Borgne
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Morgan City, Louisiana to the Mouth of the Pearl River
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for Sabine Pass to Morgan City, Louisiana; Ocean Springs to the Alabama/Florida border; Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Mobile Bay
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Metropolitan New Orleans
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the mouth of the Pearl River to the Mississippi/Alabama border; Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Metropolitan New Orleans; and Cameron to West of Morgan City
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Mississippi/Alabama border to the Alabama/Florida border

The next full advisory and forecast will be issued at 4 a.m. Monday.

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