Hurricane expected to impact Gulf Coast late this week

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Although we’ve had a break from tropical development in the past couple of weeks, hurricane season looks to be ramping up once again.

An area of disturbed weather south of Cuba is expected to continue to move northwestward over the next few days before eventually entering the Gulf of Mexico by Wednesday. The current forecast has the storm intensifying to a category 2 hurricane with winds of 100 mph.

Landfall is expected on Friday somewhere in Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama. However, regardless of the exact landfall location, impacts will likely be felt along a majority of the Gulf Coast. Heavy rain, flooding, storm surge, and destructive winds are all possible.

The storm is currently below tropical storm strength and has not been given a name yet. However, the storm is expected to become Tropical Storm Delta in the next day or two.

If you are planning a trip to the Gulf Coast late this week or next weekend, you may want to keep an eye on the weather and consider postponing travel.

Depending on the storm’s exact path, we could see some rain locally by Friday or Saturday as the remnants of the storm pass nearby.

As with any tropical system, this forecast can and will change as we get more information. Stay tuned for further updates.