The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane watch for sections of the Gulf Coast as Louisiana and Texas prepares for a second tropical system this week.
Tropical Storm Laura, which had top winds of 65 MPH as of 11 p.m. ET Monday, is expected to turn into the Gulf of Mexico and strengthen into a hurricane. The potential hurricane is expected to hit either the Texas or Louisiana coast late Wednesday.
A hurricane watch is in effect from Port Bolivar, Texas, to west of Morgan City, Louisiana. A tropical storm watch is in effect from south of Port Bolivar, Texas, to San Luis Pass, Texas, and from Morgan City, Louisiana to the Mouth of the Mississippi River.
As of Monday morning, Laura was dumping heavy rain on both Cuba and Jamaica. According to the National Hurricane Center, the storms could cause mudslides and urban flash floods on the islands.
Laura has already caused the deaths of at least 11 people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, while knocking out power and causing flooding Sunday.
Meanwhile, Tropical Depression Marco, made landfall along the Louisiana coast Monday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center, as a minimal tropical storm. It weakened from hurricane all the way to a depression on Monday. All tropical storm warnings have been dropped in associated with Marco.
Marco was recording maximum sustained winds of 35 mph as of late Monday evening. Marco was a hurricane most of Sunday, but the National Hurricane Center says its maximum sustained winds decreased after nightfall.
