This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/24/us/storms-douglas-hanna-gonzalo.html

The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 4 Version 5
Three Storms Churn Across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Three Storms Churn Across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
(about 1 hour later)
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. 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 the United States.
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. Tropical Storm Gonzalo continued moving toward the Windward Islands in the Caribbean on Friday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said.
The storm was 50 miles east-northeast of Port Mansfield, Texas, and had maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour, the center said. Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman for the center, said on Friday that it appeared that Gonzalo would not reach hurricane strength, noting that the storm’s winds had decreased to 45 miles per hour.
Hanna, moving west at eight m.p.h., was expected to make landfall along the Texas coast on Saturday afternoon or early evening, the center said. 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.
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 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 watch.
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. Gonzalo was expected to produce two to five inches of rain, with some areas receiving as much as eight inches through Sunday night.
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. Tropical Storm Hanna, in the Gulf of Mexico, continued to strengthen on Friday afternoon, 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 9 m.p.h. A tropical storm warning remained in effect in the area for the mouth of the Rio Grande to San Luis Pass.
Lesser rainfall totals were expected along the upper Texas and Louisiana coasts. “This one is going to make landfall as a strong tropical storm,” Mr. Feltgen said. “The primary threat from this is going to be rainfall. Four to eight inches of rain and isolated amounts of up to a foot through Sunday night in South Texas.”
Hanna may also spawn tornadoes, the center said, noting they could form over parts of the lower to middle Texas coastal plain. Hanna was expected to turn toward the west on Friday night and was on track to make landfall along the Texas coast on Saturday afternoon or evening, the center said. The storm was expected to weaken after moving inland.
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. 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.
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. City officials in Corpus Christi, on the Gulf Coast, said 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.
Douglas, a storm over the Pacific Ocean, was downgraded on Saturday to a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 100 m.p.h., the center said. 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.
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. The storm was still on track to approach Hawaii, he said. There were not yet any watches or warnings. “It looks like they are going to be likely required later today,” Mr. Feltgen said.
The storm was about 390 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, the center said. It was moving west-northwest at 18 m.p.h. 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.
“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.” “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.
Gov. David Ige of Hawaii on Thursday issued a pre-landfall emergency proclamation, which authorized state funds for quick disaster relief. 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.
“We don’t just focus on the wind,” Mr. Feltgen said on Friday about the storm. “You have to look at the water impacts on this thing as well. Very heavy rainfall.” He added, “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.” “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.”
As of Saturday afternoon, Gonzalo had been downgraded to a tropical depression after becoming a tropical storm on Wednesday, according to the center. 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 through Nov. 30.
A tropical storm warning for Trinidad and Tobago was discontinued Saturday afternoon.
Gonzalo had maximum sustained winds of about 35 m.p.h., the center said. It was not expected to strengthen on Saturday before reaching the islands and was forecast to weaken and dissipate by Sunday night or Monday, Mr. Feltgen said.
The biggest impact from Gonzalo, Mr. Feltgen said, was going to be rainfall over the Windward Islands in the Caribbean.
The center said Gonzalo would produce two to four inches of rain over Trinidad and Tobago and far northeastern Venezuela.
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.