Lafourche Parish President provides storm update as Tropical Depression 9 heads toward Gulf Coast
August 26, 2021
Terrebonne announces sand bag locations ahead of TD9
August 26, 2021
Tropical Depression 9 still has not strengthened into a tropical storm. TD9’s track has continued to make tiny shifts to the east, with the last three tracks moving the center of the cone from Vermillion Bay to Morgan City to now Terrebonne Bay. With no true center to track from, this could change drastically at any point. Our area still needs to be prepared for a strong hurricane, with impacts starting around Sunday afternoon. Rapid intensification is possible with the favorable conditions as the storm approaches the Gulf.
At 500 PM EDT (2100 UTC), the center of Tropical Depression Nine was located near latitude 18.0 North, longitude 79.8 West. The depression is moving toward the northwest near 14 mph (22 km/h), and this general motion should continue over the next few days. On the forecast track, the center of the depression will pass near or over the Cayman Islands tonight, the Isle of Youth and western Cuba Friday, and over the southeastern and central Gulf of Mexico Friday night and Saturday. The system is forecast to approach the U.S. northern Gulf coast on Sunday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts. Steady strengthening is forecast during the next few days. The depression is expected to become a tropical storm tonight, and become a hurricane when it is near western Cuba or over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. Additional strengthening is likely over the Gulf of Mexico, and the system could be near major hurricane strength when it approaches the northern Gulf coast.
The estimated minimum central pressure from Air Force Reserve reconnaissance data is 1006 mb (29.71 inches).
