The Southeast of the United States could soon experience a truly devastating super-storm if 2 depressions continue to strengthen and collide in the northern Gulf of Mexico early next week.
This afternoon, the National Hurricane Center released the following warning about the 2 rapidly developing systems in the Caribbean:
The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Tropical Depression Thirteen, located several hundred miles east of the northern Leeward Islands. Advisories are also being issued on newly formed Tropical Depression Fourteen, located a couple of hundred miles east of the Honduras/Nicaragua border.
They now forecast that both 13 and 14 will reach the top of the Gulf of Mexico at roughly 2pm on Tuesday afternoon.
Several models show the paths of the storms colliding sometime Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning, and if this occurs, the ‘fujiwara effect’ could cause the 2 growing storms to become one massive mega-hurricane.
According to the National Weather Service, “the fujiwara effect occurs when two hurricanes spinning in the same direction pass close enough to each other, they begin an intense dance around their common center…often, the effect is additive when hurricanes come together — we usually end up with one massive storm instead of two smaller ones.”
Here you can see how 2 smaller storms, Nuru and Kulap combined in 2017 to become the largest storm of the pacific that year.
The Atlantic Coast hurricane season for 2020 runs from June 1st through November 30th.
NWS officials are reminding all residents in Atlantic Coast states to be prepared for this hurricane season.
In case of a power outage, make sure to have the following emergency items stocked in your home;
- Car charger for cell phones and other devices
- Clean drinking water (recommended 1 gallon per person per day, minimum three days)
- Flashlights
- Batteries: Extra batteries for all of your devices
- Weather radio/clock
- Non-perishable food
- First aid kit
We will continue to update this article as this storm develops.