Good evening, friends. It's been almost 10 years to the day since my last update but I thought this particular storm warranted a little more scrutiny for my colleagues on the northern Gulf Coast. After hearing from a few of you asking for my expertise, I have decided to come out of retirement.
There have been some rumblings over the past week that an upper level low would form over the Bahamas and it would be a possible cause for concern. My brother in law happened to be in the Bahamas with his family on vacation and was able to give me some early observations that helped to formulate my thought process. He mentioned to me an abundance of cumulonimbus clouds and increasing winds from the East and Southeast. His helpful tip was the nudge I needed to take a deeper look. After some exhaustive examination of local radar, satellite imagery and a look at the European model it was evident this would develop.
*On a side note, he said the water was beautiful and the snorkeling was ideal prior to this development. He recommends Harbour Island for a family vacation.
Subsequently, a Tropical Storm Watch was later issued as these storms started to formulate and push to the eastern portion of South Florida. At this point it was clear that Gordon was experiencing rapid organization and intensification as wind shear was decreasing and conditions were present for a storm to develop. The vorticity (is that a word?) was astonishing and a red alert as to what would certainly form.
Fast forward to Monday and now everyone is on high alert. Stop me if you've heard this before but a Hurricane Warning has been issued from Morgan City, Louisiana to the Florabama. This storm will move quickly once it reaches the Gulf of Mexico and quickly organize once it reaches the fertile waters off of the Florida coast. A West to Northwest track is imminent so keep an eye on weakening wind shear coming from the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast which would also be a cause for concern due to rapid strengthening.
Now down to the meat and potatoes. Where will it hit and will I need to take a day off of work? This is exactly what I get paid for. I'll call for a landfall around Dauphin Island early Wednesday morning and quickly move inshore.
What does this mean? Pick up your shrimp nets and crab traps, move your boats, fill your bathtub with hot water in case water becomes contaminated, make sure tires have adequate air pressure if you need to evacuate and keep valuables in the top drawer of a dresser if you are in danger of flooding.
Stay tuned for a possible update tomorrow. Availability pending.
