September 5, 2018

Tropical Storm Gordon made landfall last night at 2215 CT (2315 ET), 30 miles east-southeast of Biloxi, Mississippi. Although predicted to make landfall as a hurricane, Gordon's maximum sustained winds topped out at 70 mph (still tropical storm speeds). Gordon quickly started to weaken, and by 0700 CT (0800 ET) it was a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. At that time, Gordon was located about 25 miles south-southeast of Jackson, Mississippi and moving northwest at 14 mph. On the forecast track, the center of Gordon will move across the lower Mississippi Valley today.  A turn toward the north-northwest and north is forecast to occur on Friday.

According to DHS, there are no significant impacts to the critical lifelines sectors, specifically the water, energy, communications, and transportation sectors. There are some power outages that have been reported by the Department of Energy, specifically: 23,200 in Alabama; 9,500 in Mississippi; and 14,400 in Florida. One fatality has been reported in Florida.

Posted below are Situation Reports from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. For the latest updates on Gordon, members are encouraged to visit the National Hurricane Center’s Tropical Storm Gordon webpage.

WaterISAC will continue to monitor Gordon and provide updates as necessary via email and this portal webpage. It is also prepared to assist members with any unmet needs.

September 4, 2018

Tropical Storm Gordon is expected to make landfall tonight along the north-central Gulf Coast, where hurricane, tropical storm, and storm surge warnings and watches have been issued. Some strengthening is expected today, and Gordon is forecasted to be a hurricane when it makes landfall. It is expected to produce total rain accumulations of up to 8 inches and could cause flash flooding in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. As of 0700 CT (0800 ET), Gordon was located approximately 190 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving west-northwest at 15 mph. Maximum wind speeds are new 65 mph, with higher gusts. After making landfall, Gordon is predicted to move inland over the lower Mississippi Valley, where it is expected to weaken rapidly.