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Three Storms Churn Across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Three Storms Churn Across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
(about 13 hours later)
Three separate storms — two in the Atlantic Ocean and one in the Pacific — prompted a series of weather warnings and watches on Friday for some islands in the Caribbean and parts of Texas and Hawaii. Three separate storms — two in the Atlantic Ocean and one in the Pacific — prompted a series of weather warnings and watches on Saturday for some islands in the Caribbean and parts of Texas and Hawaii.
Tropical Storm Hanna, in the Gulf of Mexico, continued to strengthen on Friday afternoon. It is expected to become a Category 1 hurricane with winds of about 75 miles per hour by the time it makes landfall on Saturday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said. Hanna, a tropical storm that formed on Thursday, became the first hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, the National Hurricane Center said on Saturday morning.
A hurricane warning was issued for parts of the Central Texas coast, from Port Mansfield to Mesquite Bay. Officials expected storm conditions to reach the Texas coast by Saturday morning. The storm was 75 miles east-northeast of Port Mansfield, Texas, and had maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour, the center said.
The center also warned of a “life-threatening storm surge” along parts of the Texas coast, from Baffin Bay to Sargent, and heavy rains across southern Texas and northeastern Mexico that could result in flooding. Hanna, moving west at seven m.p.h., was expected to make landfall along the Texas coast on Saturday afternoon or early evening, the center said.
The system, which had maximum sustained winds of 50 m.p.h., was about 230 miles east of Corpus Christi, Texas, and moving west and northwest at 10 m.p.h on Friday evening. The storm “has a chance to strengthen just a little bit more before it makes landfall,” Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman for the center, said on Saturday morning, adding that the storm was not expected to be upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane.
“The primary threat from this is going to be rainfall,” Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman for the center, said on Friday. “Four to eight inches of rain and isolated amounts of up to a foot through Sunday night in South Texas.” A storm surge warning went into effect for Port Mansfield to Sargent, Texas, the center said. And a hurricane warning was in effect for Port Mansfield to Mesquite Bay.
On Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas placed numerous resources on standby in anticipation of the storm’s arrival. By Friday, he began urging residents to heed guidance from local officials and to prepare. Officials expected Hanna to produce as much as 12 inches of rain, with some isolated totals of 18 inches through Sunday night in South Texas and into Mexico. The heavy rain could cause life-threatening flash flooding, rapid rises in small streams and some river flooding.
City officials in Corpus Christi, on the Gulf Coast, said that they were clearing storm drains in preparation for rain and potential flooding and that beaches in the area would be closed from Friday afternoon until Monday morning. Lesser rainfall totals were expected along the upper Texas and Louisiana coasts.
Douglas, a Category 3 hurricane in the Pacific Ocean, had crossed over from the Eastern Pacific Ocean to the Central Pacific Ocean on Friday, Mr. Feltgen said. Hanna may also spawn tornadoes, the center said, noting they could form over parts of the lower to middle Texas coastal plain.
The storm was still on track to approach Hawaii, he said. A hurricane watch was issued on Friday evening for the island of Oahu, Hawaii County and Maui County, including the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe, the National Hurricane Center said. The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi, on the Gulf Coast, said on Saturday that the area was under a flash flood watch and that five to 10 inches of rain could fall, with 15 inches possible in some places. Around 11 a.m., the Corpus Christi Police Department said it had begun receiving reports of flooding.
According to the service, maximum sustained winds were around 115 m.p.h. with higher gusts Friday night. On Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas placed numerous resources on standby in anticipation of the storm’s arrival. By Friday, he began urging residents in the path of Hanna to heed warnings and guidance from local officials.
Gov. David Ige of Hawaii on Thursday issued a pre-landfall emergency proclamation, which authorized the spending of state funds for quick and efficient disaster relief. City officials in Corpus Christi said that they were clearing storm drains in preparation for rain and potential flooding and that beaches in the area would be closed from Friday afternoon until Monday morning.
“The good news is that the storm is going to gradually weaken today, through the weekend, because it will be tracking over some cooler water,” Mr. Feltgen said. Douglas, a storm over the Pacific Ocean, was downgraded on Saturday to a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 m.p.h., the center said.
Douglas was still expected to be at or near hurricane strength when it gets closer to the eastern end of the Hawaiian islands by Saturday night or Sunday, he said. Hurricane watches were in effect for the counties of Oahu, Hawaii and Maui, which includes the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe, Mr. Feltgen said.
“And we don’t just focus on the wind. You have to look at the water impacts on this thing as well,” Mr. Feltgen said. “Very heavy rainfall. They could be looking at some flash flooding and tremendously rough surf. This is something residents of the Hawaiian chain need to be paying attention to.” The storm was about 485 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, the center said. It was moving west-northwest at 18 m.p.h.
Tropical Storm Gonzalo continued moving toward the Windward Islands in the Caribbean on Friday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said. “Hurricane conditions are possible over portions of the main Hawaiian islands later Saturday night and right into Monday,” Mr. Feltgen said. “It is going to weaken, but we do expect it to be a hurricane as it goes to the islands.”
Mr. Feltgen said it appeared that Gonzalo would not reach hurricane strength, noting that the storm’s winds had decreased to 45 miles per hour. Gov. David Ige of Hawaii on Thursday issued a pre-landfall emergency proclamation, which authorized state funds for quick disaster relief.
Gonzalo, which became a tropical storm on Wednesday, was about 445 miles east of the southern Windward Islands and was moving west at 18 m.p.h., the center said. “We don’t just focus on the wind: You have to look at the water impacts on this thing as well,” Mr. Feltgen said on Friday about the storm. “Very heavy rainfall. They could be looking at some flash flooding and tremendously rough surf. This is something residents of the Hawaiian chain need to be paying attention to.”
The government of Barbados had canceled its hurricane watch for the island, the center said, but a tropical storm warning remained in effect for the area. Tobago and Grenada were under a tropical storm warning. As of Saturday morning, Tropical Storm Gonzalo was about 100 miles east of Trinidad, Mr. Feltgen said. The only tropical warnings posted were for Tobago, Grenada and its dependencies.
Gonzalo was expected to produce two to five inches of rain, with some areas receiving as much as eight inches through Sunday night. Gonzalo, which became a tropical storm on Wednesday, had maximum sustained winds of about 40 m.p.h., he said. It was not expected to strengthen today before reaching the islands and was forecast to weaken and dissipate by Sunday night or Monday.
Hanna, which was upgraded to a tropical storm on Thursday, is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. The biggest impact from Gonzalo, Mr. Feltgen said, was going to be rainfall over the Windward Islands in the Caribbean.
The center said in a Saturday morning advisory that Gonzalo would produce one to three inches of rain, with isolated pockets of five inches in Barbados, the Windward Islands and Trinidad and Tobago through Sunday night.
Hanna is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
The first tropical storm was Arthur, which formed off the coast of Florida in May, followed by Bertha, which made landfall near Charleston, S.C., at the end of the month. The systems made 2020 the sixth year in a row that a storm developed before the official start of the season.The first tropical storm was Arthur, which formed off the coast of Florida in May, followed by Bertha, which made landfall near Charleston, S.C., at the end of the month. The systems made 2020 the sixth year in a row that a storm developed before the official start of the season.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted an above normal Atlantic hurricane season, with as many as 19 named storms — of which six to 10 could become hurricanes. Three to six of those could develop into Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricanes, it said.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted an above normal Atlantic hurricane season, with as many as 19 named storms — of which six to 10 could become hurricanes. Three to six of those could develop into Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricanes, it said.
An average hurricane season produces 12 named storms, with six becoming hurricanes and three of those six developing into major hurricanes.An average hurricane season produces 12 named storms, with six becoming hurricanes and three of those six developing into major hurricanes.
Marie Fazio contributed reporting.Marie Fazio contributed reporting.