AccuWeather Says Storm Expected to Hit Gulf Coast to Become Category 3 Hurricane

A weather service said a brewing storm headed toward the Gulf Coast is expected to become “a large hurricane with a major storm surge threat and impacts that will reach hundreds of miles inland from where this storm makes landfall.”

The warning follows a U.S. National Hurricane Center forecast that said the U.S. Gulf Coast from Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle is at risk of a hurricane strike by the end of the week as a patch of turbulent weather in the Atlantic becomes more organized.

AccuWeather is forecasting a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained wind gusts of 111 to 130 miles per hour to make landfall along the U.S. Gulf coast on Thursday.

AccuWeather is also forecasting 8 to 12 inches of rain near the point of landfall, which may lead to widespread flooding near the center of the storm track. The weather service is also forecasting travel delays and impacts in the region. AccuWeather is forecasting 500 flight cancellations on Thursday and 1,000 flight cancellations on Friday.

Wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph are forecast across the Florida Panhandle, and across southern Georgia and Alabama. Wind gusts may reach 140 to 150 mph near where the center of circulation makes landfall, according to AccuWeather.

AccuWeather says residents from Mobile, Alabama, to Fort Myers, Florida, should prepare for the potential of 1 to 3 feet of storm surge Wednesday night through Thursday night. Areas from Panama Beach, Florida, to the Tampa Bay area may expect 3 to 6 feet of storm surge.

Meteorologists also say there will be a risk of spin-up tornadoes as the storm approaches the coast and moves inland through Friday night.