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Late Atlantic Storm Threatens US Gulf Coast
6 Oct
Summary
- A storm system, AL92, is expected to become the first hurricane of the season.
- Potential landfall sites range from Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle.
- If it strengthens after Thursday, it could break a 121-year-old record.
A developing storm system, AL92, in the Gulf of Mexico shows a 90% chance of becoming a hurricane within 48 hours, potentially marking the season's first. Forecasters anticipate heavy rainfall and flooding across the northern Gulf Coast, southeastern United States, and Florida starting later this week and continuing through the weekend.
Models suggest AL92 could reach peak strength between Thursday and Friday, with wind speeds possibly ranging from Category 1 to near Category 5. Potential landfall locations extend from Biloxi, Mississippi, to the Florida Panhandle, with the system then tracking inland toward Tennessee or Kentucky, weakening as it moves over land.
If AL92 becomes a named storm, it will be called Isaias. Should it achieve hurricane status after Thursday, it would break a record set on October 8, 1905, for the latest first Atlantic hurricane of a season. The current quiet Atlantic season is attributed to El Niño, which typically increases wind shear, hindering storm formation.
