“It looks as though there will be little chance of a Fujiwara Effect,” said Kegges. A Fujiwara Effect was feared in 2004, but did not materialize when both Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley hit Florida almost simultaneously. Tropical Storm Lisa was just starting to weaken into a Tropical Depression. Satellite imagery (above) in August of 2014 saw the Fujiwara Effect in action in the Eastern Pacific between Tropical Storms Karina and Lowell. Along with the Fujiwara Effect pinwheeling one, two or three storms, systems can also more powerful storms can also swallow up a weaker system.

The center of Laura will move away from Cuba and over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico overnight. As Marco was on its deathbed, the National Hurricane Center issued its first storm watches for Laura. Heavy rain was expected across portions of the north-central Gulf Coast overnight, according to the National Hurricane Center. Then a little less than a month later came Hurricane Rita which struck southwest Louisiana on Sept. 24 as a Category 3 storm. On the Louisiana coast at Holly Beach in an area nicknamed the “Cajun Riviera,” Eric Monceaux was frantically packing what he could take with him.

Forecasters said it would likely remain just off the Louisiana coast through Tuesday. In the Dominican Republic, relatives told reporters a collapsed wall killed a mother and her young son. Hundreds of thousands were without power in the Dominican Republic amid heavy flooding in both countries. Despite Marco's weakening, a storm surge warning remained in place from Morgan City, Louisiana, to Ocean Springs, Mississippi. A storm surge of up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) was forecast for parts of coastal Louisiana and Mississippi.

Forecasters raised the ominous possibility that warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico could super-charge Laura into a powerful hurricane. Laura's center was remaining just off Cuba's shore, and was not expected to weaken over land before entering the gulf. That's a recipe for damaging, hurricane-force winds of more than 110 mph (177 kph) as Laura approaches the U.S. coast, forecasters said. Rain bands from both storms could bring a combined total of 2 feet (0.6 meters) of rain to parts of Louisiana and several feet of potentially deadly storm surge, forecasters said. Basically that would be 10-feet plus along the southwest Louisiana coast line in a reasonable worst-case scenario, Schott said.

ORLANDO, Fla. In a tweet Monday, the International Space Station gave us a space-view of Tropical Storm Laura. [LIVE TRACK: Laura could hit Gulf Coast as supercharged hurricane]Tropical Storm Laura was viewed from external station cameras prior to making landfall on Cuba on Sunday, Aug. 23. pic.twitter.com/s1NW06BjXF Intl. Space Station (@Space_Station) August 24, 2020According to the National Hurricane Centers latest advisory on Monday, Tropical Storm Laura was projected to be upgraded into a hurricane as it approached the Gulf Coast. Tropical Storm Laura was named alongside Tropical Storm Marco, which began to fall apart Monday. Forecasters said Laura could make landfall as a supercharged Category 3 hurricane with winds topping 110 mph, thanks to the remnants of Marco.

MIAMI – Tropical Storm Marco has formed in the northwestern Caribbean, joining Tropical Storm Laura as what could become a double threat within days to a huge stretch of the U.S. Gulf Coast. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Marco formed late Friday about 180 miles southeast of Cozumel, Mexico. The storm’s maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph and it was expected to move near the Yucatan Peninsula on Saturday. Marco became a tropical storm on the heels of Laura, which set a record for the earliest 12th named storm of a season when it formed on Friday morning northeast of the Lesser Antilles.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for, . For a depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case within the next 6 to 18 hours. RAINFALL: Marco is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 3 to 6 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 10 inches across portions of the northeast and north-central Gulf coast through Tuesday. SURF: Swells generated by Marco are likely to affect portions of the northern Gulf Coast for the next couple of days.