Tropical Storm Franklin May Become Atlantic Basin’s 1st Hurricane of 2017

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Tropical Storm Franklin will exit Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula later today and continue moving toward the southwest Gulf of Mexico or the Bay of Campeche coast on early Thursday, possibly becoming the Atlantic Basin’s first hurricane of the season, according to a report published by Weather Underground.

The National Hurricane Center is forecasting Franklin to become a hurricane prior to this second landfall in parts of eastern Mexico’s Veracruz state, which includes the city of Veracruz, said the report.

Weather Underground predicted that Franklin is unlikely to directly affect the United States due to high pressure conditions in southern states. However, it expected high surf, rip currents, and possibly some minor coastal flooding should affect southern Texas on Wednesday and Thursday.

As Franklin moves today through the Yucatan Peninsula, bands of heavy rain with gusty winds may cause some tree damage and power outages, said the Weather Underground report, which noted that wind gusts of 46 mph were recorded in Campeche, Mexico.

“Residents of the Yucatan Peninsula and Belize can expect 3 to 6 inches of rain with locally higher amounts, which could result in life-threatening flash flooding,” said the report.

In addition, waves in excess of 10 feet may lash the eastern Yucatan coast, including Cozumel and Cancún, it added.

Up to 15 inches of rain may fall in eastern Mexico through Thursday as Franklin makes its final move inland, the report said, warning that flash flooding and mudslides are possible as Franklin moves across this region’s mountainous terrain.

In August 2016, Tropical Storm Earl/Hurricane Earl made landfall in Belize, crossed Guatemala and southern Mexico. “Earl caused considerable wind damage and storm surge flooding in Belize, and produced very heavy rainfall across much of Central America, as well as eastern and southern Mexico, resulting in widespread flooding and mudslides,” according to the National Hurricane Center’s Tropical Cyclone Report, published in January 2017.

The National Hurricane Center’s report said that Earl was responsible for 81 direct deaths in Mexico.

[Editor’s Note: Weather Underground’s report, published on Aug. 8, was compiled by Chris Dolce.]

Source: Weather Underground and National Hurricane Center