Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
Tropical Storm Sara landed in northern Honduras late Thursday, November 14, 2024, bringing torrential rainfall and significant flooding across Central America and southern Mexico. The storm landed near Brus Laguna, a village of approximately 13,000 residents, situated about 105 miles west-northwest of Cabo Gracias a Dios on the Honduras-Nicaragua border. By early Friday morning, November 15, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) placed Sara around 65 miles east-southeast of Belize City, with a westward movement at nine mph and maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
The NHC issued warnings of “intense rains,” with forecasts predicting 10 to 20 inches of rainfall and up to 30 inches in some isolated regions. This significant precipitation has heightened concerns for life-threatening flooding and landslides, particularly in mountainous areas. Coastal regions in Sara’s path may also face a storm surge ranging from 1 to 3 feet and experience large, destructive waves.
While Sara is projected to continue moving westward and potentially impact Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula, it is not expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico or threaten South Texas’s Rio Grande Valley. Current forecasts from the NHC indicate no immediate danger to the Gulf Coast of the United States, and no advisories have been issued for Sara’s potential impact on the region.
For South Texas residents, particularly those in the Rio Grande Valley, the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Brownsville regularly updates tropical activity. Their most recent advisories do not foresee Tropical Storm Sara affecting the area. Nevertheless, residents are encouraged to remain vigilant, as tropical weather conditions can evolve rapidly.
Regularly monitoring updates from trusted sources such as the NHC and NWS ensures timely and accurate information, helping communities stay prepared for any storm trajectories or conditions shifts.
The meanings of the acronyms:
NHC (National Hurricane Center): The NHC is a division of the United States National Weather Service that specializes in tracking, predicting, and providing warnings for tropical cyclones, including hurricanes and tropical storms, in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans.
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce that studies the conditions of the oceans and atmosphere. It researches and provides information on weather, climate, oceans, fisheries, and other environmental matters.
NWS (National Weather Service): The NWS is an agency of NOAA responsible for providing weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, and adjacent waters. The NWS aims to protect life and property and enhance the national economy by offering accurate and timely weather information and alerts.
