UPDATE:
From Eddie Tyler, Superintendent: Baldwin County Public Schools will be in session until 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4. ALL schools will dismiss and buses will roll at 11:30 a.m. due to the impending tropical weather. There will be no after school childcare Tuesday. ALL athletic and school events after Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. are cancelled. We are closely monitoring the weather and working with EMA and county officials. Stay weather alert. We have another conference call at 5:30 p.m. and will send out another statement when the call has been completed.
Tropical Storm Gordon is pushing into the Gulf of Mexico as it continues to bring heavy rain and gusty winds to Florida. Gordon will head for a northern Gulf Coast landfall late Tuesday as a strong tropical storm or possibly a Category 1 hurricane.
The National Hurricane Center has now issued a hurricane watch from the mouth of the Pearl River, Mississippi, to the border between Alabama and Florida.
A hurricane watch means hurricane-force winds (74-plus mph) are possible in the area indicated beginning late Tuesday or Tuesday night.
Tropical storm warnings are posted for South Florida, from Golden Beach on the southeastern coast to Bonita Beach on the southwestern coast, as well as for the Keys, from Craig Key to Ocean Reef.
Tropical storm warnings are also posted from the Okaloosa-Walton County border in Florida westward to east of Morgan City, Louisiana, including Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas.
A tropical storm warning is typically issued when tropical-storm-force winds (39-plus mph) are expected in 36 hours or less.
Residents along the northern Gulf Coast should continue to make preparations for Gordon through Tuesday morning.
Gordon is currently centered about 15 miles west-southwest of Marco Island, Florida, and is producing numerous showers and thunderstorms in southern Florida.
Localized flooding is possible, and the National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for South Florida into Monday night.
In addition, tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph or greater) are possible in the tropical storm warning area in southern Florida on Monday. A wind gust to 51 mph was reported at Miami's Opa Locka Executive Airport on Monday morning.
An isolated tornado threat cannot be ruled out through Monday night across the southern and west-central Florida Peninsula, as well.
Conditions should begin to improve Monday night in South Florida.
Steered by high pressure aloft parked over the eastern United States, Gordon will move through the eastern Gulf of Mexico Monday night through Tuesday.
Gordon is forecast to be a strong tropical storm near the time it makes landfall on the northern Gulf Coast Tuesday night, most likely in southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi or southern Alabama. There is some chance Gordon could attain Category 1 hurricane strength just before landfall, and that's why the NHC issued a hurricane watch for parts of the Mississippi and Alabama coasts.
Rainfall
Parts of the northern Gulf Coast could see 4 to 6 inches of rainfall Tuesday through Wednesday, from southeastern Louisiana into far southern Mississippi and far southern Alabama. Localized totals of 8 inches or more are possible in some areas by early Thursday.
As a result, there could be flooding in this region, including the New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, metro areas. A flash flood watch has been posted by the National Weather Service for parts of southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi and coastal Alabama.
Separate flash flood watches are in effect in southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana due to heavy rain from another weather system affecting that region on Monday.
Storm Surge, Rip Currents and High Surf
A storm surge warning has been issued from Shell Beach, Louisiana, to Mississippi-Alabama border. This means within 36 hours, parts of this coastline could see a dangerous, life-threatening storm-surge inundation.
There is a storm surge watch posted from west of Shell Beach, Louisiana, to the mouth of the Mississippi River and from the border between Mississippi and Alabama to Navarre, Florida.
The NHC said water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide:
Shell Beach, Louisiana, to the Mississippi-Alabama border: 3 to 5 feet
Navarre, Florida, to the Mississippi-Alabama border: 2 to 4 feet
Shell Beach, Louisiana, to the mouth of Mississippi River: 2 to 4 feet
Mouth of the Mississippi River to the Louisiana-Texas border: 1 to 2 feet
High tide this week on the Louisiana and Mississippi coastline is in the early-morning hours. Tuesday morning through Thursday evening is the timing for potential coastal flooding in the storm surge watch area, according to the National Weather Service.
The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the east of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large waves, according to the NHC.
An onshore wind flow will continue a risk of dangerous rip currents on the northern Gulf Coast into midweek, and swimmers are encouraged to stay out of the water.
Seas are expected to build to 6 to 10 feet by Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama.
Wind
Tropical-storm-force winds (39-plus mph) are possible in the tropical storm warning area in South Florida on Monday.
By late Tuesday, tropical-storm-force winds could arrive on the northern Gulf Coast in the tropical storm warning area. Hurricane-force winds are possible in the hurricane watch area late Tuesday or Tuesday night.
Downed trees and power outages are expected where the tropical storm warning and hurricane watch are posted along the northern Gulf Coast. This is expected no matter whether Gordon is a strong tropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane at landfall.
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) offers science-based guidance to help Gulf Coast residents mitigate their risks of property damage from the impacts of Tropical Storm Gordon by offering a variety of resources for homeowners and business owners at disastersafety.org.
The IBHS last-minute checklist (attached) includes important tips about securing the outside surroundings of your property, steps you can take to reduce water damage within your home or business facility and updated guidance on securing windows and doors, based on recent testing conducted at the IBHS Research Center in Richburg, S.C.
Tropical Storm & Hurricane Preparedness
OUTSIDE SURROUNDINGS
-Secure any parts of a fence that appear weakened or loose.
-Trim trees and shrubbery away from structures and remove any weakened sections of trees that might easily break off and fall onto structures.
-Move lawn furniture, toys, potted plants, garden tools and other yard objects inside; anchor heavier yard objects deep into the ground.
WINDOWS AND DOORS
-Close all interior doors, in addition to all windows and exterior doors.
-If you have shutters, closely monitor local weather conditions and make sure you have enough time to deploy them before the storm is expected to hit your area.
-Check doors, windows, and walls for openings where water can get in; use silicone caulk to seal any cracks, gaps, or holes – especially around openings where cables and pipes enter the house.
WATER DAMAGE REDUCTION
-Place all appliances that are on the ground floor, including stoves, washers and dryers on masonry blocks or concrete.
-Move furniture and electronic devices off the floor, particularly in basements and first floor levels.
-Roll up area rugs, and get them off the floor to reduce the chances they will become wet and grow mold or mildew. This is particularly important if the property will be left unattended for an extended period of time and if long-term power outages are a possibility.
-Put fresh batteries in sump pumps.
-Shut off electrical service at the main breaker if the electrical system and outlets could possibly be under water.
