A disturbance in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico is likely to become a tropical storm that will strike the northern U.S. Gulf Coast with high wind and heavy rains, forecasters said on Thursday, Oct. 17.
Moving off the eastern coast of Mexico, the low-pressure system was expected to develop into a tropical or subtropical system on Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
“Potential Tropical Cyclone 16 has a 90% chance of developing into a tropical or subtropical storm,” the NHC said.
10 AM CDT: NHC has initiated advisories on Potential Tropical Cyclone Sixteen. Here are the Key Messages for that system, which is expected to bring storm surge and wind hazards to portions of the Gulf Coast https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB pic.twitter.com/GBtv78GUvv
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 17, 2019
Forecasters issued a tropical storm warning for southeastern Louisiana as well as the northern Gulf Coast from the Alabama-Mississippi line to Yankeetown, Florida. A storm surge warning for the Florida Gulf Coast from Indian Pass to Clearwater Beach also has been issued.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Potential Tropical Cyclone #Sixteen from the Mississippi/Alabama border to Yankeetown, Florida, and from Grand Isle, Louisiana, to the mouth of the Pearl River.https://t.co/eP7X8VZLt0? pic.twitter.com/vVVja3phZk
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 18, 2019
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for Potential Tropical Cyclone #Sixteen along the Gulf coast of Florida from Indian Pass to Clearwater Beach.
Inundation of 3 to 5 ft above ground level is possible from Indian Pass to Chassahowitzka.https://t.co/mwd1XlqrJE pic.twitter.com/Z0GKk2d3lP
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 18, 2019
The disturbance, which could become Tropical Storm Nestor, had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was centered about 445 miles southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River on Thursday night. It was moving to the northeast at 12 mph.
A tropical storm could bring as much as 3 inches of rain on the Florida Panhandle coast and as much as 1.5 inches inland. Arid regions of Alabama, Georgia and northern Florida were in the storm’s possible track.
Officials also fear high winds could destabilize the remnants of an 18-story Hard Rock Hotel that partially collapsed while under construction in New Orleans, killing three.
Authorities in New Orleans said explosives will be strategically placed on two unstable construction cranes in hopes of bringing them down Friday with a series of small controlled blasts ahead of the approaching storm.
The system could still be a tropical storm on Sunday morning over eastern North Carolina before moving back over water, forecasters said.
The CNN Wire contributed to this report.
