Louisiana urged to stay ‘aware’ as what’s expected to become Debby heads toward Gulf

The National Hurricane Center gives a tropical wave in the Atlantic Ocean a 70% chance of developing into an organized system over the next seven days, by which time it will have moved to the Gulf of Mexico. (National Hurricane Center map)

Forecasters are gaining more confidence that a tropical wave in the Atlantic will organize into a named storm once it reaches the Gulf of Mexico. Exactly where the system, which would be named Debby, will impact the Gulf Coast is still undetermined.

In Louisiana, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) is urging residents to “stay weather aware” as the National Hurricane Center continues to track what’s now known as Invest 97L.

As of 1 p.m. Thursday, the National Hurricane Center gave a 70% likelihood of Invest 97L intensifying into a tropical depression within the next seven days.

“Conditions favor strengthening once in the Gulf as the developing circulation lifts north,” according to WVUE-TV Fox 8 meteorologist Zach Fradella . “The greatest threat area is the Florida Peninsula and Florida Panhandle. However, signs point to steering current collapsing by early next week, which may lead to a stalling storm. If that stall occurs before a landfall, the final track would be highly uncertain.:

“This system is a good reminder on the importance of staying prepared and finalizing your emergency plans,” GOHSEP Director Jacques Thibodeaux said in a statement.

GOHSEP encourages residents to download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide at www.getagameplan.org .