Tropical Storm Bill Not a Threat to the US, while Gulf Coast Goes on Alert for Potential Flooding

Posted: June 16, 2021 10:46 am

Tropical Storm Bill, the second named storm of the official 2021 Atlantic hurricane season came to fruition on Monday night off of the coast of North Carolina and Virginia. While the storm is not expected to be a direct threat to the US, some areas may see rough surf as Tropical Storm Bill churns off the East Coast.

Tropical Storm Bill Details

The system quickly developed into a tropical depression on Monday morning, picking up steam and dumping moisture out into the open seas. As of mid-day Tuesday, Tropical Storm Bill was located approximately 400 miles east of Nantucket, Massachusetts. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the fast-moving storm is packing maximum sustained winds of about 60 mph as it speeds along to the northeast at 38 mph.

Bill is not predicted to hang around for long. There are a number of strong winds that are coming down as the jet stream moves to the south. This southward drop in the jet stream and the associated wind shear will serve to break up the storm and keep the system away from the US coast. Tropical Storm Bill will continue to move to the northeast, finding cold water as it moves closer to Canada. This cold water will work to reduce the intensity of the system, turning into a non-tropical feature shortly.

Bill is not forecast to threaten the US outside of rough surf conditions along Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and eastern Massachusetts. However, the system may churn close enough to Newfoundland, Canada, to deliver heavy rain and winds throughout Wednesday.

Out in the Gulf of Mexico

Tropical Storm Bill is not the only development on the radar of the NHC. A broad area of showers and thunderstorms has begun to come together over the southwestern corner of the Gulf of Mexico over the last several days. While the presence of dry air and wind shear have kept the system out in the open water, forecasters are still keeping tabs on it.

Another disturbance is picking up in intensity over the eastern Caribbean Sea. This system is forecast to move into the Gulf by Thursday, potentially creating the impetus to cause tropical development.

There is a strong chance that heavy rainfall and gusty thunderstorms will deliver severe weather to parts of southern Mexico and Central America if the system becomes more organized. This severe weather would include the risk of localized flash flooding and mudslides.

Cause for Concern

Wind shear to the north of the area of concern will likely serve to keep the system from developing into a hurricane. However, weather experts caution that the system may create enough energy to bring substantial rainfall to some parts of the US Gulf Coast.

This chance of heavy rain is of particular concern for the regions that have already seen so much precipitation and flooding since May. Many areas of eastern Texas and western Louisiana have been inundated with rain with some waterways at the flood stage.

In addition, saturated ground conditions in Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia may leave this entire region vulnerable to flash flooding if the tropical rains move through the area.

Should this system take on tropical characteristics, the next name on the list of tropical storms is Claudette, followed by Danny.

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