During the past few days, meteorologists have been watching a possible one, two punch of tropical storms head for the U.S. Gulf Coast. However it appears that by Monday, August 24, one has weakened while the other has revved up toward a potential supercharged Category 3 hurricane.

Tropical Storm Marco was falling apart Monday, but was kicking up a mess prior to the arrival of Laura that was just south of Cuba. Laura is not expected to weaken, and it will be moving over very warm and deep southeastern Gulf waters. According to forecasters, such an occurrence could potentially provide a short time of rapid intensification of the storm. It has been predicted that winds could reach more than 110 mph. The warm waters could make Laura a Category 3 hurricane.

Tropical Storm Laura strengthened and was named on Friday, morning August 21^st when it was near the eastern part of the Dominican Republic. At the time, Marco was expected to be at near hurricane strength once it approached the central Gulf Coast as a hurricane on Monday, August 24^th.

The two storms appearing in the Gulf of Mexico simultaneously could cause record breaking, life-threatening winds and flooding along the coast from Texas to Alabama.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards noted that there could be a storm surge from Marco and the resulting water will not recede before Laura hits.

“We’ve not seen this before and that’s why people need to pay particular attention,” he said.

The governors of Louisiana and Mississippi announced states of emergencies. Shelters with cots were being provided. The cots were set far apart to comply with social distancing as the residents of the states continue to deal with the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The one, two punch of Laura and Marco comes just a few days before the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans on August 29^th, 2005.

Two tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico simultaneously is not a common experience, but it has happened.

On the 5^th and 6^th of September, 2002, tropical storm Fay was in the northwest section of the Gulf while tropical depression Edouard was weakening after crossing over Florida traveling east to west.

On the 17^th and 18^th of June, 1959, Tropical Storm Beulah made landfall south of the U.S.-Mexican border as Hurricane 3 was a tropical storm in the Gulf before crossing the Florida Peninsula and then intensified over the Atlantic.

It doesn’t appear that it will happen in this case, but two storms in proximity of each other have combined to form one larger hurricane. Known as the Fujiwhara effect, when two hurricanes spinning in the same direction pass close to one another, they both perform an intense dance around their common center. If one hurricane is stronger than the other, the smaller one will orbit it and eventually crash into the vortex and be absorbed. Two storms closer in strength can drift toward each other until they reach a common point and merge or spin each other around for a while before each goes in its own direction. Two hurricanes Hilary and Irwin, actually merged in the East Pacific in 2017.

Wind shears are tearing Marco apart as the larger Laura is about to cross warm waters that always increases the intensity of the storm. The winds that are dismantling Marco won’t be a problem for Laura.

Both storms were generating rain bands that could bring a combined total of 2 feet of rain to sections of Louisiana. This could potentially raise the storm surge to a height of more than 10 feet along the Louisiana coastline. The worst-case scenario calls for water being pushed 30 miles up the rivers.

Louisiana Governor Edwards warned that if either storm caused power outages in Louisiana, resident would have to wait longer than normal for electricity to be restored. He cautioned that residents should be prepared to shelter in place for as long as 72 hours.

If you’ve kept track of this 2020 hurricane season, then you are aware that it started early and states have already had to contend with multiple storms. Whether the larger number and greater intensity of the hurricanes this year and in recent years are due to climate warming or not, it is certainly getting very intense in hurricane regions of the country.

Of course, the obvious way to battle the onslaught is to be prepared and have a standalone generator to ensure that your family remains in comfort during the worst of the storm.

APElectric offers a wide range of stand-alone generators from such manufacturers as Cummins, Westinghouse, Kohler, Briggs & Stratton, Generac, Firman, and Guardian. They have a large inventory to choose from. Many models feature Wi-Fi so that you can monitor and control the generator from anywhere on Earth. The website also includes a generator sizing calculator and offers information on how to select the proper generator for your situation.

Now more than ever it is essential that you be prepared. Call 847-516-8882 or visit www.apelectric.com and browse their supply of generators. Purchasing one can give you peace of mind during this crazy hurricane season.