Zeta continues to reorganize and restrengthen in the Gulf of Mexico. The satellite data is showing the center getting wrapped back up with convection. That is a sign that it may begin to intensify during the next 12 hours.
Tropical Update
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From the NHC
OUTLOOK
At 1000 PM CDT (0300 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Zeta was located near latitude 23.8 North, longitude 91.2 West. Zeta is moving toward the northwest near 15 mph (24 km/h). A turn toward the north is expected overnight, and a faster northward to north-northeastward motion is expected on Wednesday. On the forecast track, the center of Zeta will move over the central Gulf of Mexico overnight. Zeta is forecast to make landfall in southeastern Louisiana Wednesday afternoon, move close to the Mississippi coast Wednesday evening, and move across the southeastern and eastern United States on Thursday.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 70 mph (110 km/h) with higher gusts. Zeta is forecast to become a hurricane again overnight and reach the northern Gulf Coast Wednesday as a hurricane on Wednesday afternoon before weakening over the southeastern United States on Thursday.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km) from the center.
The latest minimum central pressure reported by an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is 990 mb (29.23 inches).
HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
STORM SURGE: Along the northern Gulf Coast, the combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide…
Mouth of the Pearl River to Dauphin Island AL…5-8 ft
Port Fourchon LA to the Mouth of the Pearl River including Lake Borgne…4-6 ft
Dauphin Island AL to AL/FL border including Mobile Bay…3-5 ft
Mouth of the Atchafalaya River to Port Fourchon LA…2-4 ft
AL/FL border to Navarre FL including Pensacola Bay…2-4 ft
Lake Pontchartrain…2-4 ft
Intracoastal City LA to the Mouth of the Atchafalaya River including Vermilion Bay…1-3 ft
Navarre FL to Yankeetown FL including Choctawhatchee Bay and Saint Andrew Bay…1-3 ft
The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the right of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. For information specific to your area, please see products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.
WIND: Hurricane conditions are expected within the Hurricane Warning area on the northern Gulf Coast Wednesday afternoon, with tropical storm conditions beginning Wednesday morning. Tropical storm conditions are expected within the Tropical Storm Warning area on the northern Gulf Coast by late Wednesday, and tropical storm conditions are possible within the Tropical Storm Watch area Wednesday afternoon.
Damaging winds, especially in gusts, will spread well inland across portions of southeast Mississippi and southern Alabama Wednesday night.
RAINFALL: Locally heavy rains in advance of Zeta will continue to expand and move north from the central Gulf Coast tonight through Wednesday, eventually affecting the Ohio Valley to the central Appalachians Wednesday night and Thursday. Meanwhile, the core of heavy rains near Zeta will track from the central Gulf Coast to the Mid-Atlantic late Wednesday through late Thursday. Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches with isolated amounts of 6 inches are expected across these areas, resulting in flash, urban, small stream, and minor river flooding.
Zeta may produce an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain across portions of western Cuba and the northern Yucatan Peninsula through the rest of tonight.
TORNADOES: A few tornadoes are expected Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday night over southeastern portions of Louisiana and Mississippi, southern Alabama, and the western Panhandle of Florida.
