THE GALVESTON COUNTY AREA is in the path of a rare event that has seen two disturbances in the Gulf of Mexico set to make landfall on top of each other at some point next week, leading to a rush on essential supplies over the weekend.
The area is also in a historic line of fire, as this could mark the first time two hurricanes were in the Gulf of Mexico at the same time.
“Official records go back to 1851. Based on the WPC (Weather Prediction Center), there is no record of two hurricanes at the exact same time in the Gulf of Mexico,” an NOAA staffer told ABC News.
Tropical Depression 14 is slated to make landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast between Monday and Tuesday with a strong chance of becoming Tropical Storm Marco. This comes on the heels of Tropical Depression 13 on a fast path of graduating to Hurricane Laura, albeit a Category 1 storm that could make a quick stop through the Florida Keys before finding its way into the Gulf.
“We could actually have Laura AND Marco sharing the Gulf Coast on Monday, and both making landfalls on Monday,” said University of Miami (Fla.) meteorologist Brian McNoldy.
TD 14 appears to be the biggest threat to the area, as it has the potential to deliver heavy rain, potential flooding and the possibility of power outages.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott wasted no time on Friday to stress that Texans in the path of the storms should take the steps to hunker down.
“As Tropical Depression 14 approaches the state, Texans should remain vigilant and take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and others from heavy rainfall and potential flooding,” Abbott said. “The State of Texas is closely monitoring weather conditions and is prepared to respond to any further developments.”
Based on the path it was on Friday evening, TD 14 is projected to make landfall just east of Galveston with the potential to become Tropical Storm Marco. However, the warm waters of the Gulf could be the fuel needed to go from tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane. Projections have it on pace to briefly become a hurricane before settling down to tropical storm status when it eventually makes landfall between the central Texas coast and the western approaches of Louisiana either late Monday or early Tuesday.
