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A tropical depression or storm forming in the southwestern region of the Gulf of Mexico this week is potentially threatening the U.S. and Mexican coasts.
The depression's formation has occurred on the first official day of hurricane season, the six-month period when most tropical cyclones typically develop. The season typically lasts from June 1 to November 30.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has said that the depression's gradual formation in the Gulf has already flooded parts of Central America. Though the center isn't sure whether the storm will move northward to the U.S. or southward towards Mexico—although a majority of storms in the Gulf tend northward—the NHC is urging government officials and residents to monitor weather developments in the area and plan accordingly.
The depression has not yet been named as a full-fledged tropical storm and is currently known as "Invest 93L" by NHC trackers. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) could officially name the storm later, something it does do to allow people, media and government officials to discuss such weather events more easily.
A tropical depression is an atmospheric low-pressure system that originates near the equator having a maximum sustained wind speed of 38 miles per hour or less. Depressions are sometimes also referred to as tropical storms.
The Weather Channel states that most storms that develop in the Gulf of Mexico don't typically worsen into hurricanes, partly because of the region's wind shear—the variation in wind velocity that can help slow down a storm's rotation—and the lack of time storms have to intensify before hitting land.
Nevertheless, rain and wind from the depression in question have already caused serious threat of flooding and mudslides in Mexico and Central America, as well as in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, western Honduras and Mexico, according to the NHC.
Rainfalls and wind associated with a different tropical storm, Amanda, killed 17 Central Americans last weekend. Two Guatemalans and 15 El Salvadorians died due to flooding, and more than 2,000 El Salvadorians also fled to emergency shelters. Seven other El Salvadorians are currently missing following the storms.
San Salvador Mayor Ernesto Muyshondt said Amanda destroyed 50 houses in the country's capital, with hundreds around the country evacuating their homes as rivers overflowed.
Greg Carbin, Chief of the Forecast Operations Branch at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Prediction told Newsweek that many factors contribute to whether rainfall creates problems for different communities, not just the intensity and duration of the rain.
"The sandy soils along the immediate coastline, and lack of steep terrain, usually allow many heavy rainfall events to pass without too much trouble," Carbin said. "However, urban areas and rainfall intensity can combine to bring about more substantial problems in a relatively short amount of time."
For example, a few inches of rain in an hour in Miami or New Orleans, he said, would very likely result in at least some flooded roads and underpasses. Even regions with saturated soils and mountainous terrain can still experience flooding and landslides.
The NHC is a division of the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The NHC headquarters is located in University Park, Miami, Florida.
Update (6/4/2020, 3:38 p.m.): This article has been updated to include a statement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
