A total of 5 Tropical Storms and potential tropical storms are currently strengthening and moving toward the east coast of the US.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Tropical storms Franklin, Gert, and Emily are now the strongest systems that are now converging towards the Gulf of Mexico.
Franklin is anticipated to shift away from the U.S. mainland after impacting areas like the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. However, the National Weather Service (NWS) highlighted significant uncertainty regarding Franklin’s 3-5 day trajectory, implying that its course could alter. As it stands, Franklin is currently positioned south of Haiti and is projected to move westward, bringing with it heavy rainfall and gusty winds of up to 73 mph to regions like Puerto Rico and its surrounding islands. While encounters with land might disrupt the storm’s progress, the NWS expects Franklin to potentially evolve into a hurricane over the southwest Atlantic.
Meanwhile, Gert, which is presently to the east of Puerto Rico, seems to be weakening. The NWS predicts that Gert will veer slightly northward and dissipate in open waters by Tuesday. On the other hand, Emily, which originated off the west African coast and is currently mid-Atlantic, is also foreseen to lose strength due to challenging environmental conditions, likely transitioning into a post-tropical cyclone by Monday evening.
In addition to these, the National Hurricane Center is closely monitoring a budding storm in the Gulf of Mexico, west of Cuba. Given the favorable conditions in the area, there’s a heightened chance of this system turning into a tropical storm in the coming days. This could lead to storm alerts being issued for regions like southern Texas.
NWS officials are reminding all residents in Atlantic Coast states to be prepared for potential future storms.
In case of a power outage, make sure to have the following emergency items stocked in your home;
- Car charger for cell phones and other devices
- Clean drinking water (recommended 1 gallon per person per day, minimum three days)
- Flashlights
- Batteries: Extra batteries for all of your devices
- Weather radio/clock
- Non-perishable food
- First aid kit
