Tropical Storm Heads Toward La. Coast
Posted on: Tuesday, 5 July 2005, 06:00 CDT
MIAMI - A tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico developed early Tuesday into the third named storm of the season. Tropical Storm Cindy could strengthen before reaching Louisiana Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
"We expect it to make landfall along the Louisiana coast Tuesday night... but we are not expecting it to make hurricane," said meteorologist Trisha Wallace.
A tropical storm warning was issued for 220 miles of the northern Gulf Coast from Intracoastal City, La., to Pascagoula, Miss., including New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain.
A watch, meaning tropical storm conditions are possible within 36 hours, was issued for the entire Alabama coast and areas east to Destin, Fla. A watch for areas west of Intracoastal City, La., was discontinued.
At 5 a.m. EDT, Cindy was about 255 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving north-northwest at 14 mph. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, with wind and rain extending up to 85 miles to the north and east from its center.
Meanwhile, a second tropical depression in the southeast Caribbean was gaining strength and becoming better organized, forecasters said. Tropical Depression 4 was about 415 miles south-southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and moving west at about 17 mph.
The system had top sustained winds of 35 mph. Tropical storms have top sustained winds of at least 39 mph.
"It will probably be upgraded sometime later Tuesday," Wallace said. "By tomorrow we're expecting it to be a tropical storm."
The depression was on track to reach Haiti by Wednesday and South Florida by Friday, Wallace said.
The Atlantic hurricane season began June 1 and ends Nov. 30. The next tropical storm would be named Dennis.
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On the Net:
National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
Source: Associated Press/AP Online
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