Tropical storm forms off Texas, Louisiana

[maseman]

Source: MSNBC/AP

MIAMI - A tropical storm formed off the Gulf Coast on Wednesday, and forecasters warned residents of Texas and Louisiana to expect heavy rain and possibly flooding by this evening.

Named Humberto, the storm had winds of 45 mph and was already producing rain over the two states. Additional strengthening was expected.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20742710/

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Not a huge storm but watch out fellow Texan and LA DUers. COuld be flooding and some wind damage.

[againes654]

1. Good looking out

I did not know that. Live in east Tx.

[maseman]

2. Good luck

I know TX has had much rain this year.

[againes654]

3. Yes

but it has kept temps down, so not complaining too much. Hope this doesn't get too bad.

[loser_user]

4. Hurricane now...

It's been upgraded to hurricane status with 80 mph. It is a small storm though.

[Thothmes]

5. Really caught the weather guessers by surprise.

[Scurrilous]

6. Hurricane Humberto hits Texas

<snip>

"Hurricane Humberto crashed ashore along southeast Texas early Thursday, bringing heavy rains and maximum sustained winds of up to 80 mph as it made its way to Louisiana, the National Weather Service said.

The Category 1 storm made landfall about five miles east of High Island, near Sea Rim State Park, meteorologist Jim Sweeney said. The storm was expected to start weakening as it continued inland.

"It's a very compact storm," Sweeney said. The strongest winds are very close to the center of circulation. The hurricane force winds only go about 15 miles."

Power was knocked out for most of Beaumont as the storm blew through, said Michael White, Jefferson County's assistant emergency management coordinator.

"We're seeing winds at about 75 to 80 miles per hour," White said from the Emergency Operations Center in Beaumont, which lost power. Officials were forced to track the storm with laptops.

http://www.miamiherald.com/hurricane/story/235975.html

[happyslug]

8. Formed up about 3:00 pm on 9/12/07

For earlier advisory about this storm see:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2007/HUMBERTO.shtml?

What about the new one east of the Lesser Antilles (Now called Depression # 10, but probably will become Ingrid)? Tropical Depressions are given Numbers as they are formed and when (and if) they become Tropical Storm they are given a Name.

[RantinRavin]

9. I believe you are referring to #8

There has not been a #10 yet...#9 became Humberto

TROPICAL DEPRESSION EIGHT DISCUSSION NUMBER 5
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL082007
1100 AM EDT THU SEP 13 2007

A 0900Z QUIKSCAT OVERPASS RECEIVED AFTER THE PREVIOUS ADVISORY
SUGGESTED THAT SYSTEM COULD HAVE BEEN A TROPICAL STORM FOR A FEW
HOURS. THE IMAGE DEPICTED A FEW UN-FLAGGED 35 KT WINDS JUST TO THE
EAST AND SOUTH OF THE CENTER. SINCE THEN...VISIBLE IMAGERY
INDICATES A SEVERELY SHEARED...POORLY ORGANIZED SYSTEM.
CONSEQUENTLY...THE INITIAL INTENSITY WILL BE KEPT AT 30 KT.

DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...INTENSITY GUIDANCE SUGGEST THAT THERE IS
STILL A CHANCE THAT THE DEPRESSION WILL DEVELOP INTO A TROPICAL
STORM. AFTERWARD...THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST
PERIOD...LARGE SCALE MODELS CONTINUE TO FORECAST STRONG
UPPER-TROPOSPHERIC WESTERLIES...ASSOCIATED WITH A DEEP LAYER
MID-ATLANTIC TROUGH...EXTENDING FROM THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN AND
ADJACENT ATLANTIC WATERS. THE OFFICIAL INTENSITY FORECAST FOLLOWS
SUIT AND IS SLIGHTLY BELOW THE PREVIOUS PACKAGE.

BASED ON THE AFOREMENTIONED QUIKSCAT PASS AND AN EARLIER SSMIS
MICROWAVE IMAGE...THE TRACK HAS BEEN ADJUSTED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT
OF THE PREVIOUS FORECAST...REFLECTING AN INITIAL ESTIMATED MOTION
OF 285/7. THIS GENERAL MOTION SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH THE ENTIRE
FORECAST...WITH A CONTINUED SLIGHT REDUCTION IN FORWARD MOTION
DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. THE OFFICIAL FORECAST IS BASICALLY
A REFLECTION OF THE PREVIOUS ONE...BUT JUST TO THE LEFT...FOLLOWING
A BLEND OF THE UKMET...GFDL...AND THE GFS.

FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INITIAL 13/1500Z 13.9N 48.0W 30 KT
12HR VT 14/0000Z 14.2N 49.0W 30 KT
24HR VT 14/1200Z 14.5N 49.9W 35 KT
36HR VT 15/0000Z 14.8N 50.8W 35 KT
48HR VT 15/1200Z 15.2N 52.0W 40 KT
72HR VT 16/1200Z 16.0N 54.4W 40 KT
96HR VT 17/1200Z 17.0N 57.0W 40 KT
120HR VT 18/1200Z 18.2N 59.6W 35 KT

[happyslug]

11. I re-checked NOAA and you are right,

Herberto formed from Depression #9, which formed after Depression #8. Depression # 8 was on its way to becoming Herberto, but then Depression # 9 came into existence and rapidly became a Tropical Storm, while Depression # 8 is slowly building up to be a Tropical Strom.

Depressions are Numbered and only named after they become Tropical Storms. In the Case of Depressions # 8 and 9, #9 became Tropical first and thus became Herberto, while # 8 is slowly growing and will probably become Ingrid sometime today or tomorrow.

Tropical Storm #8:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at3+shtml/191024.shtml?table#contents

[hedgehog]

7. Spooky = where did this storm find enough energy that close to the

coast to develop into a hurricane, however small?

[Bridget Burke]

10. Perhaps the very hot conditions allowed the storm to form in the Gulf....

Instead of taking the classic route across the Atlantic from Africa. Hurricane Alicia that hit Houston in August of 1983 started in the Gulf.

But, what do I know? Let's hear from an expert:

Humberto strengthened from a tropical depression with 35 mph winds to a hurricane with 85 mph winds in just 18 hours, said James Franklin, a specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

“To put this development in perspective — no tropical cyclone in the historical record has ever reached this intensity at a faster rate near landfall. It would be nice to know, someday, why this happened,” Franklin said.

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20742710/