Marco Steps Closer As Gulf Coast Residents Prepare For First Of Two Storms

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Marco was downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm as it approached the Gulf Coast on Sunday night. Forecasters warned coastal residents to remain vigilant. They estimated that Marco could make landfall in Louisiana late Monday.

It could then weaken into a tropical depression and move into East Texas on Tuesday.

The extent of the danger Marco posed to Texas reached as far as San Antonio earlier on Sunday. One model showed Marco as a tropical depression reaching South Central Texas by Wednesday afternoon. However, by Sunday night, with the latest data showing Marco had weakened, it was not clear how far Marco’s effect would be felt beyond Houston.

In the Caribbean, Tropical Storm Laura lashed Hispaniola and Cuba through the weekend, and it may join Marco in the Gulf by Monday night. Forecasts warned that the deadly storm could grow into a strong hurricane.

Laura may threaten a soaked Louisiana by Wednesday night, only days after Marco’s arrival. But the National Hurricane Center (NHC) also included the northeastern Texas Gulf Coast among the areas where Laura might make landfall, or when its eye crosses from water onto land. It could still be a hurricane at that point. It could then weaken to a strong tropical storm as it moves inland across Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky through Friday.

On Sunday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he had issued a state disaster declaration for 23 counties, including Bexar County, as part of the state’s response to both tropical threats. The declaration would aid staging and sheltering efforts. Abbott also asked President Donald Trump to declare the designated counties federal emergency areas.

During a press conference, Abbott reminded citizens to keep in mind the ongoing need to protect against the spread of COVID-19 during the emergency.

“As we respond to these oncoming hurricanes, it is essential that everybody in every community continue to do everything that you can to maintain your distance from others, to remember the safety practices that you have adopted over the past few months,” he said.

The governor said the Texas Division of Emergency Management activated the Alamo Regional Command Center. The department was prepared to shelter as many as 5,000 evacuees from the storms if necessary. Several other state agencies, including the Texas A&M Forest Service, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Texas Military Department and Texas Department of Public Safety were also prepared to deploy.

Houston Public Media (HPM) reported on Sunday that the state prepared helicopters, shelter teams, disinfection teams and mobile coronavirus testing squads. HPM added that the Texas Department of State Health Services had selected facilities in San Antonio and one north of Houston that could be converted into medical shelters for COVID-19 patients.

The bizarre, dramatic possibility of two strong storms striking the same stretch of coastline sparked memes, black humor and wry comments about 2020 on social media throughout the weekend. Also, one historian noted the storms would strike less than a week before the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

On Sunday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported Marco was about 185 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. It was moving north-northwest at 12 mph. The Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft dispatched to evaluate the storm measured sustained winds of 70 mph.

Most communities between Texas and Alabama faced threats of storm surge, dangerous surf, severe winds, heavy rain, the risk of flash flooding and even tornadoes.

Reuters reported on Sunday that Louisiana officials ordered evaucations from some coastal communities. In Grand Isle, people stacked sandbags to support levies. NPR reported that Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a state of emergency. On Sunday, President Trump approved an emergency declaration for the state, which secures federal assistance for state and local response efforts.

Mississippi’s governor also issued a state of emergency.

In Alabama, the governor explained this weekend that elections set for Tuesday may have to be delayed because of the storms.

On Sunday, HPM spoke with Francisco Sanchez, emergency management coordinator for Harris County, who was worried about Marco indirectly saturating the East Texas region and then Laura’s rainfall making the crisis even worse. “We’re not concerned about the flooding from Marco,” he explained to HPM, “but if we then have a storm that comes in later this week and the grounds are already saturated, that could be problematic in terms of rain because it will have nowhere to go.”

On Sunday, Tropical Storm Laura pounded Hispaniola and Cuba with severe winds and rain. It was about 30 miles west of Guantanamo, Cuba. It moved west-northwest at 21 mph. The Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft sent to evaluate the storm measured sustained winds of 65 mph.

“Little change in strength is forecast while Laura moves near the southern coast of Cuba tonight and Monday,” forecasters warned. “However, strengthening is forecast after the storm moves over the Gulf of Mexico, and Laura is forecast to become a hurricane late Tuesday or Tuesday night.”

If Laura’s sustained winds exceed 74 mph, it will be classified as a Category 1 hurricane.

On Saturday, President Trump approved a disaster declaration for Puerto Rico, which secured federal assistance for the commonwealth island’s response and recovery efforts.

Reuters reported on Sunday that Haiti had seen at least five deaths, including a ten year old girl, and historic levels of flooding in Port-au-Prince, the capital city. Residents in eastern Cuba fled their homes as Laura’s floodwaters rushed in.

NPR noted that the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season has seen “named storms forming at a pace never seen before.” One weather expert estimated that 2020 has seen 30 named storm days by Aug. 22, a record exceeded only by the 1995, 2005 and 2008 storm seasons.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently warned that this year’s season could see twice the normal number of named storms.

The remaining names from 2020’s list of “Tropical Cyclone Names” are Nana, Omar, Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky, Wilfred. If that list is exhausted, the NHC explained, “additional storms will take names from the Greek alphabet.”

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