Does anyone remember a time when two hurricanes combined into one giant mess after entering the Gulf of Mexico?

Fujiwhara Effect is used to describe two cyclonic vortices that close in on each other and begin to orbit one another. These storms then close the distance between themselves as they potentially become one. Sounds just like something that would happen in 2020 right?

It will be a busy weekend for the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service as all eyes will be on the tropics. Tropical Disturbance 14 and Tropical Storm Laura are both headed to the Gulf of Mexico, and the latest models appear to show both storms could impact the Texas coast. These storms could begin to impact the Crossroads by Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. Let's look at both storms perfectly.

NOAA.GOV Tropical Depression 14 8-21-2020 Advisory
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Tropical Disturbance 14 will likely become a Tropical Storm by Saturday morning if not sooner. By the time it skips over the Yucatan, it could be a Cat 1 Hurricane. This system is lining up to impact the Galveston and Houston areas along the Texas coast.  This system is moving NW at 14mph with max winds at 35mph. This system will continue to stregthen.

NOAA.Gov Topical Storm Laura 8-21-2020 Advisory
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Tropical Storm Laura is coming up right behind Tropical Disturbance 14. Could they arrive together? It's looking rather unlikely. One of the two systems would have to speed up or slow down considerably allowing both storms to enter the gulf together for the Fujiwhara effect to be a legit concern. It will be very interesting to watch. No Tropical Storm Laura has been heading due West. For a time it was thought to be taking a turn up the easter coast of the United State. Now it appears to be joining TD 13 for a date with the Gulf Coast.  Tropical Storm Laura is moving West at 18mph with max winds of 45 mph.

NOAA.GOV 21 Aug 2020 NESDIS-STAR GOES-EAST BAND 13
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Both storms are already kicking up some significant rain bands as they continue to develop. We will continue to keep an eye on the systems over the weekend. Grab our free station app to have updates sent to your phone for the latest information. Stay weather aware and enjoy the weekend before what looks to be a very rainy week coming up next week.

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