Tracking Francine:
HOUSTON – Hurricane Francine finally became a hurricane at 7pm Tuesday. With the storm less than 24-hours away from making land in Louisiana, the cone is narrowing. The latest track is far enough away from away from southeast Texas that our impacts are lower. The tropical storm watch has been cancelled along our coastline. Francine is expected to hit between New Iberia and Houma Wednesday afternoon as a category 1.
Texas coastal impacts:
There have been changes to the expected storm surge. Matagorda to Freeport are in the clear with no surge expected tomorrow. We still have a 1 to 3 foot storm surge from Freeport to Sabine Pass. This surge could create coastal flooding. Low-lying roadways are most susceptible to with some roads flooded, like highway 87 in Bolivar. If you live along the coast do not drive through barricades if there is flooding.
Rainfall Futuretrack:
We had a few good showers today in Houston. I don’t think we’ll have much Wednesday. We are on what’s called the “clean side” of the hurricane. The left hand part of a hurricane is weaker with few impacts. The below futurecast is a good example. The heaviest rain is near the center of the storm and to the right, the “dirty side” of the storm. There will be some rain but nothing compared to what Louisiana gets.
Winds:
The biggest change to the forecast is to the winds. The center of Francine is far enough away that wind speeds and gusts are drastically lower than Tuesday’s forecast. The below image shows the strongest wind gusts Wednesday morning. These gusts were closer to 60mph yesterday. In reality the gusts may be a little stronger but nothing that would bring down trees and take down power.
Rest of the Week:
There is a slight chance for showers on Wednesday with Francine, but by Wednesday night we will be dry. Temperatures heat up Friday.
The rest of the tropics:
There are two other tropical waves in the Atlantic Ocean. The early data on these disturbances is has them headed toward the east coast, specifically the Carolinas.
10-day Forecast:
There is still a chance for showers on Wednesday associated with Francine. The rest of the week through the weekend is expected to be dry.
