Hurricane Nate Moving Fast Towards US Gulf Coast

HAVANA TIMES – Hurricane Nate with 90 mph (150 km/h) winds is now quickly approaching the US Gulf Coast, threatening New Orleans and other cities east.

The encounter with land is expected to be on Saturday night. By then Nate is expected to have further increased to a powerful Category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale of 1 to a maximum of 5.

The fast moving system is traveling north at 26 mph (43 km/h) and has led to a hurricane and tropical storm warnings in a wide area of the Gulf Coast (see below).

Thus far there are no reports of damage caused in Cuba’s western Pinar del Río province where a tropical storm warning was in effect as of yesterday.

Before moving north, Nate, then a Tropical Storm, left at least two dozen dead and numerous missing in Central America; half of the deaths were in Nicaragua.

The following is the latest Public Advisory from the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

 

Hurricane Nate Advisory

National Hurricane Center Miami FL
1000 AM CDT Sat Oct 07 2017

…NATE STRENGTHENING AND NOW EXPECTED TO BE A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE
AT LANDFALL ON THE CENTRAL GULF COAST…
…NEW TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA
PANHANDLE…

SUMMARY OF 1000 AM CDT…1500 UTC…INFORMATION
———————————————–
LOCATION…26.6N 88.4W
ABOUT 180 MI…285 KM SSE OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
ABOUT 265 MI…425 KM S OF BILOXI MISSISSIPPI
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…90 MPH…150 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…NNW OR 340 DEGREES AT 26 MPH…43 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…984 MB…29.06 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS
——————–
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

A Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect east of the
Okaloosa/Walton County Line to Indian Pass Florida.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for…
* Grand Isle Louisiana to the Alabama/Florida border
* Metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for…
* Morgan City Louisiana to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line Florida
* Northern and western shores of Lake Pontchartrain

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
* Lake Maurepas
* West of Grand Isle to Morgan City Louisiana
* East of the Alabama/Florida border to Indian Pass Florida

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for…
* Lake Maurepas
* East of the Alabama/Florida border to the Okaloosa/Walton County
Line
* West of Grand Isle to Morgan City Louisiana

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for…
* East of the Okaloosa/Walton County Line to Indian Pass Florida

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for…
* West of Morgan City to Intracoastal City Louisiana

A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected
somewhere within the warning area, in this case within the next 24
hours. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to
completion.

A Storm Surge Warning means there is a danger of life-threatening
inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline,
during the next 36 hours in the indicated locations. For a
depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather
Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at
hurricanes.gov. This is a life-threatening situation. Persons
located within these areas should take all necessary actions to
protect life and property from rising water and the potential for
other dangerous conditions. Promptly follow evacuation and other
instructions from local officials.

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are
expected somewhere within the warning area.

A Storm Surge Watch means there is a possibility of life-
threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the
coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours.
For a depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather
Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at
hurricanes.gov.

A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible
within the watch area.

A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are
possible within the watch area.

For storm information specific to your area in the United
States, including possible inland watches and warnings, please
monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service
forecast office. For storm information specific to your area outside
the United States, please monitor products issued by your national
meteorological service.

DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
——————————
At 1000 AM CDT (1500 UTC), the center of Hurricane Nate was located
near latitude 26.6 North, longitude 88.4 West. Nate is moving
rapidly toward the north-northwest near 26 mph (43 km/h), and this
general motion is expected to continue through this evening. A turn
toward the north is forecast tonight, followed by a turn toward the
northeast. On the forecast track, the center of Nate will move
across the northern Gulf of Mexico today and will make landfall
along the central U.S. Gulf Coast tonight.

Reports from NOAA and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft
indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 90 mph
(150 km/h) with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is expected
before landfall, and Nate is forecast to be a category 2 hurricane
on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale when the center reaches
the Gulf Coast.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km),
primarily to the east of the center and tropical-storm-force winds
extend outward up to 125 miles (205 km).

The minimum central pressure estimated from the Hurricane Hunter
aircraft data is 984 mb (29.06 inches).

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
———————-
WIND: Along the northern Gulf Coast, hurricane conditions are
expected in the hurricane warning area this evening and tonight,
with tropical storm conditions expected to begin during the next
several hours. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the
tropical storm warning area tonight and Sunday. Hurricane
conditions are possible in the hurricane watch area tonight and
tropical storm conditions are possible in the tropical storm watch
area tonight and Sunday.

STORM SURGE: The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide
will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising
waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water is expected to
reach the following heights above ground if the peak surge occurs at
the time of high tide…

Mouth of the Mississippi River to the Mississippi/Alabama border…7
to 11 ft
Mississippi/Alabama border to the Alabama/Florida border, including
Mobile Bay…6 to 9 ft
Morgan City, Louisiana to the mouth of the Mississippi River…4 to
6 ft
Alabama/Florida border to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line…4 to 6
ft
Okaloosa/Walton County Line to Indian Pass, Florida…2 to 4 ft
Indian Pass to Crystal River, Florida…1 to 3 ft

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to
the east of the landfall location, where the surge will be
accompanied by large and destructive waves. Surge-related
flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal
cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. For information
specific to your area, please see products issued by your local
National Weather Service forecast office.

RAINFALL: Nate is expected to produce the following rain
accumulations through Monday:

Western Cuba: 2 to 4 inches, max 6 inches.
Cayman Islands: 1 to 3 inches.

East of the Mississippi River from the central Gulf Coast into the
Deep South, eastern Tennessee Valley, and southern Appalachians:
3 to 6 inches, max 10 inches.

Across the Ohio Valley into the central Appalachians:
2 to 4 inches, max 6 inches.

TORNADOES: A couple of tornadoes will be possible beginning late
this afternoon over parts of the central Gulf Coast region.

SURF: Swells generated by Nate will affect land areas around the
Gulf of Mexico during the next day or so. These swells are likely
to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please
consult products from your local weather office.