The calm may be ending. After a relatively quiet spell, a storm in the Gulf of Mexico is poised to escalate into a hurricane as it heads toward the U.S. coast. By Wednesday, tropical storm Francine is expected to make landfall somewhere along the Gulf, potentially between Texas and Louisiana. With wind speeds projected to reach up to 110 mph, Francine could hit as a Category 1 or even Category 2 hurricane.
A Deluge in Waiting
The storm’s approach has already prompted warnings from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Heavy rain is predicted to drench northeast Mexico, southern Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The potential for widespread flooding will remain high through Thursday. Francine’s exact path remains uncertain, but the NHC cautions that the danger of life-threatening storm surges and damaging winds along portions of the Louisiana and upper Texas coastlines is increasing.
Evacuations Begin as the Storm Draws Near
In anticipation of Francine’s impact, energy giants like Exxon and Shell have begun evacuating personnel from offshore facilities along the Gulf Coast, scaling back drilling operations as a precaution. The U.S. Coast Guard has also restricted vessel traffic in key ports such as Corpus Christi, Texas, to prepare for the storm’s arrival.
A Season of Predictions Comes to Fruition
This new storm seems to validate earlier warnings from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which forecasted an above-average hurricane season in the Atlantic, with up to 25 named storms. The fear of a particularly active season was fueled by record ocean temperatures, a direct consequence of the climate crisis. The Pacific’s developing La Niña conditions, which tend to reduce the wind shear that disrupts Atlantic hurricanes, further contributed to the grim predictions.
Climate Crisis and La Niña Collide
Since the season’s start in June, the Atlantic has already seen five named storms, three of which grew into hurricanes. Now, as we approach the statistical peak of the U.S. hurricane season on September 10, the threat of major hurricanes looms larger than ever. Francine’s arrival marks a shift from what has been, until now, an unexpectedly quiet hurricane season for many Americans.
Wildfires Rage as the Coast Prepares
While those along the Gulf brace for Francine, other parts of the country face their own climate-induced crises. In California, an out-of-control wildfire, stoked by extreme heat and anticipated thunderstorms, is threatening 35,000 buildings east of Los Angeles, forcing evacuations and putting thousands of homes in jeopardy.
Hurricanes and Wildfires
This hurricane season unfolds against a backdrop of escalating climate change effects, where one part of the nation prepares for inundation while another burns. The warming atmosphere, driven largely by fossil fuel emissions, is feeding both hurricanes and wildfires, making extreme weather events more frequent and more severe.
As the Gulf Prepares, the Rest of the Nation Holds Its Breath
With Francine poised to become a formidable storm, residents along the Gulf Coast are left to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. For now, all eyes remain on the Gulf, but the implications stretch far beyond, signaling a hurricane season that may be just beginning to reveal its true ferocity.
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