National Hurricane Center Issues Advisory on Tropical Storm Laura

The National Hurricane Center issued an advisory Friday afternoon on the recently upgraded Tropical Storm Laura.

At approximately 2 p.m., the center reported that the storm was approaching the northern Leeward Islands, headed in the same direction as Tropical Depression Fourteen, currently located over the northwestern Caribbean Sea.

According to the center, this is the first time in history that two storms will be in the Gulf of Mexico at the same time if Laura continues on its path.

The latest information shows Laura moving west toward the Dominican Republic at a speed of 18 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour.

The latest model shows Laura traveling directly over the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Cuba and makings its way into the Gulf skirting over the Florida Keys and the western Florida coastline and is expected to make landfall near the Alabama-Florida border Wednesday morning.

At the same time, Tropical Depression Fourteen is currently located in the Caribbean Sea just off the coast of Honduras traveling northwest at a speed of 14 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour.

Tropical Storm Fourteen is expected to travel into the Gulf after making landfall over a portion of eastern Mexico and continuing on to make landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border Tuesday morning.

Residents are urged to make preparations for Tropical-Storm-Force winds throughout the state from Monday morning through Wednesday.

Below is a list of things you can do to prepare for the storms:

• Secure any objects that may blow away such as outdoor toys, chairs, tables, trampolines, etc.
• Stock up on water for drinking and cleaning by storing potable water in approved containers and cleaning water in larger areas such as bathtubs, barrels, jugs, buckets, etc.
• Stock up on any necessary medications for your family and pets.
• Protect windows by covering them with approved hurricane panels, plywood, or other sturdy material.
• Move vehicles out from under any trees or power lines.
• Trim any trees with dead or weak branches.

For further updates on these two storms or more tips on hurricane preparation, you can follow the NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center’s official Facebook page.