The Gulf Coast looks set to get battered by two hurricanes at the start of the week in a rare double-whammy weather incident.
Marco strengthened from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday and is forecast to reach the coast of Louisiana coast late Monday.
Following close behind is Laura, currently a tropical storm, though it could gain hurricane status by the time it reaches Louisiana late Wednesday, August 26.
Hurricane and storm surge warnings are currently in place for some communities along the coast of Louisiana and neighboring Mississippi.
For those in the storm zone, or anyone fascinated by extreme weather events for that matter, there are plenty of online resources providing up-to-date information on the progress of Marco and Laura.
One of the best free options is the National Hurricane Center (NHC) website. Although this government offering has a somewhat clunky design, it includes all the information you need for a broad and up-to-date picture on what’s happening, including wind speed probabilities, the expected arrival time of the winds, and, most importantly, the latest public advisory detailing watches and warnings that are in place.
For mobile, you might want to consider Hurricane Tracker ($3) for iOS and Android, which uses NHC data to relay storm news as it breaks. The app offers customization options for alerts regarding newly formed storms or for when a weather system makes landfall, among other features.
A free mobile offering comes via Hurricane, an app released by the American Red Cross (iOS and Android). Hurricane offers an interactive tracker that predicts where a storm is likely to head so you can make the best preparations. It also posts updates on local conditions as a storm system rolls in.
The Weather Channel’s website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed are also worth checking out, and the same goes for AccuWeather’s website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed.
Local TV and radio news channels will of course be all over any incoming storms, so stay tuned to get the latest updates. And don’t forget, if you have an Alexa-powered smart speaker, you can use it to set up severe weather alerts.
Stay safe, everyone.
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