Two Tropical Concerns in the Gulf of Mexico
11/6/2009 11:09 AM
Tropical Depression Ida, is one of two storm systems that could pose a risk to residents of the Gulf
Coast by the middle of next week.
People who live along the Gulf Coast in
By Alex
Sosnowski
AccuWeather.com
Ida, is one of two storm systems that could pose a risk to residents of the
Gulf Coast by the middle of next week.
There are two scenarios concerning Ida's future track that AccuWeather.com meteorologists are considering.
The first and more likely scenario would allow for modest strengthening and would bring Ida northward slowly as a tropical storm into the eastern
Gulf of Mexico.
From there, it could stall and spread out as a large area of
heavy rain,
rough seas and moderate winds for an extended period beginning next week over much of the central and eastern
Gulf Coast.
A potentially more dangerous scenario is that a much stronger Ida moves at a faster pace.
In this stronger, faster scenario, Ida could regain hurricane strength, perhaps reaching category 2 or 3 status over the northwest Caribbean, then
could plow into Florida's Gulf coast.
On top of the threats of
heavy rainfall and flooding,
damaging winds and storm surge could add to the dangers in this less likely
scenario.
In both situations, some weakening is likely once Ida reaches the Gulf of Mexico, where it will experience stronger wind shear.
Nicaragua and Honduras were greeted by Ida with torrential rain, flooding and
gusty winds Thursday. Ida re-emerged over the western Caribbean
Friday.
Ida should not be confused with a second area of
low pressure in the
southwestern Gulf of Mexico.
That system, named or not in the coming days, will cause problems in the western and central Gulf of Mexico this weekend and then the lower
Mississippi Valley next week.
The AccuWeather.com
Southwest Regional News story has more on
the system in the western Gulf of Mexico.
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