Tropical Storm Marco, Laura expected to track toward Gulf of Mexico

RALEIGH (WTVD) — It’s official, there are now two tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean: Tropical Storm Marco and Laura, according to the National Hurricane Center.

If forecasts are correct, we could see something that has never happened before: two hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico at the same time. We have seen two systems in the gulf before. There were two tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico back in 1959, one named Beulah and the other an unnamed storm. And in 1933, a Hurricane and Tropical Storm both hit the U.S.

Tropical Depression Fourteen officially strengthened into Tropical Storm Marco just before 11 p.m. Saturday. The system formed over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and is forecasted to move near the Yucatan Peninsula on Saturday.

Marco has maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour and is moving north-northwest through the Gulf of Mexico at 12 miles per hour.

Tropical Depression Thirteen officially strengthened into Tropical Storm Laura around 9 a.m. Friday. The system has triggered Tropical Storm Watches for the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The track for Laura shifted to the west with the 5 a.m. update on Friday putting landfall anywhere from western Florida and Louisiana.

Laura now has maximum sustained winds at 40 miles per hour and is moving west at 21 mph. Though Laura seems to be ‘quite disorganized’ at this time, the system is expected to move across the greater Antilles sometime this weekend.

Storm Ready 2020: Preparing in a Pandemic

Marco’s current track takes it across the coast of Honduras and then over part of Mexico. The storm then heads back over water in the Gulf of Mexico, where it could track into Texas or Louisiana.

Changes in the track for both systems are possible. At this time, neither system is expected to make landfall in North Carolina. We could see rain from both systems as they move back to the north mid to late week.

WATCH: Preparing your hurricane kit during COVID-19