Should Louisiana Residents Worry About The Atlantic Tropical Disturbance?

(Lake Charles, Louisiana) - Hurricane season doesn't officially begin for another two and a half months, however, there's something brewing in the Atlantic Ocean.  We have all the details.

There is no faster way for Mother Nature to reignite Louisiana resident's hurricane PTSD than to throw a tropical disturbance in the Atlantic in March when we shouldn't have to be worrying about this crud.

Get our free mobile app

Hurricane season in the U.S. runs from June to November. During this time, hurricanes often form tropical waves off the coast of Africa because of warm ocean water and strong winds. In summer and early fall, the Sahara Desert creates powerful winds that blow west over the Atlantic Ocean. These winds, called the African Easterly Jet, help storms form over warm water. If the conditions are right, these storms grow into hurricanes. The Earth's rotation and trade winds push them toward the Caribbean and the U.S. Some hurricanes weaken or change direction, but others grow stronger and bring heavy rain, wind, and flooding to coastal areas.

Here's what the National Hurricane Center says about the tropical disturbance in currently in the Atlantic Ocean:

A non-tropical area of low pressure located about 700 miles
northeast of the northern Leeward Islands is producing gale-force winds and a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Additional development of this low is not expected as it moves northward to northwestward into an environment of strong upper-level winds and dry air tonight and Tuesday. Additional information on this system can be found in High Seas Forecasts issued by the National Weather Service.

If anyone has Mother Nature on speed dial, it's got to be Meteorologist Zack Fradella, and he's telling her to calm down:

By all reports, this tropical disturbance should just fizzle out in the Atlantic and not poise a problem to mainland USA.

We'll keep our eyes on it and update you accordingly.