Tropical Disturbance to Potentially Threaten Southeast U.S. - Weather Trends International

As we enter the climatological peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, it is prudent to pay special attention to the activity in the tropics. The last couple of weeks have seen a slow pick-up in the amount of tropical activity with a few, forgettable "fish storms", and currently there is a disturbance in the Caribbean that could develop into the next tropical storm. Fortunately, the storm in the Caribbean will not pose any threat to the U.S. as it meanders towards the Yucatan Peninsula, however, over the past few days, weather forecasting models have been indicating a potentially dangerous storm located just off the West Africa Coast that could have impacts on the U.S. mainland. Luckily, the storm is still about 10 to 14 days away from making any real impacts on the U.S. The tropical disturbance can been seen out in the eastern Atlantic in current satellite images, shown here. The storm will gather strength as it traverses the Atlantic Ocean where conditions are favorable for hurricane development. Where the storm goes as it approaches the Caribbean and Southeastern U.S. is still too early to tell, however, we believe this storm will pose a dangerous threat to the U.S.

The greatest threat from this storm will be along the Southeast Coast, from Florida to the Carolinas, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico. We advise retailers in this area to keep a very close eye as the system develops over the next week or so and to position inventory now so that it can easily be distributed to any areas affected by the storm; Atlanta, GA is a strategic location for pre-positioning supplies. Emergency supplies like bottled water, batteries, plywood, first aid kits, and flashlights will be just some of the categories to have on hand.

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