Tropical Depression 8 Stirs Up the Gulf with TS Gonzalo on the Approach

A tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana could become a tropical storm within the next 24 hours, the National Hurricane Center has warned.

At 10 am Atlantic Standard Time on July 23, the NHC said Tropical Depression Eight was moving in a west-northwest direction and likely would make landfall along the Texas coast on Saturday. Maximum sustained winds were near 35 mph with higher gusts, but the storm is expected to slowly strengthen.

The depression could produce 3 to 5 inches of rain with isolated maximum totals of 8 inches through July 27 along the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Lower Texas Coast, and inland through south-central Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.

Flash flooding and isolated minor flooding could occur across the west-central Gulf Coast and into portions of south Texas. The depression also is expected to generate swells along the Texas and Louisiana coasts that would be life threatening, the NHC said.

TS Gonzalo

Meanwhile, the NHC issued a hurricane watch for Tropical Storm Gonzalo, which was churning off the northeast coast of South America on Thursday morning with maximum sustained winds at 60 mph (95 km/h) with higher gusts, and heading in a west-northwest motion toward the southern Windward Islands.

While the tropical storm had weakened somewhat, the NHC said Gonzalo is expected to increase its speed and could re-strengthen over the weekend. There is still a chance the Gonzalo could become a hurricane.

Source: National Hurricane Center

Topics Catastrophe Texas Louisiana Hurricane