RALEIGH, MS - We are continuing our daily updates of Tropical Storm Cristobal as it moves north towards the Gulf Coast.

As of 10:00PM,  the center of Tropical Storm Cristobal was located near latitude 22.7N, longitude 90.1W. Cristobal is moving toward the north near 14 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days. On the forecast track, the center of Cristobal will move over the central Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, and be near the northern Gulf of Mexico coast on Sunday. Cristobal's center is then forecast to move inland across Louisiana late Sunday and Monday.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 45 mph (75 km/h) with higher gusts. Slow strengthening is forecast until landfall occurs on the northern Gulf coast. Weakening will begin once Cristobal moves inland late Sunday and Monday.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 240 miles (390 km) from the center.

Some changes for this update include the issuance of a Tropical Storm Warning for the Mississippi coast and a Storm Surge Warning. A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for all areas from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Ocean Springs, Mississippi. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for all areas east of Morgan City, Louisiana to the Okaloosa/Walton County, Florida line.

RALEIGH, MS - Yesterday, we began passing along daily information about Tropical Storm Cristobal to you as it makes its way towards the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We will continue to monitor the situation through updates from the National Hurricane Center and communicate any changes to you so that you can adequately prepare for possible hazardous conditions.

At 4:00 PM CDT, the center of Tropical Depression Cristobal was located near latitude 17.5N, longitude 90.8W. The depression is moving toward the east-southeast near 3 mph. A turn toward the east and northeast is expected tonight, and a subsequent generally northward motion should occur through Sunday. On the forecast track, the center will move over extreme northwestern Guatemala and eastern Mexico tonight and Friday. The center is forecast to move back over the southern Gulf of Mexico late Friday, over the central Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, and approach the northern Gulf of Mexico coast Sunday and Sunday night. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts. Some additional weakening is possible overnight. Re-intensification is expected to begin late Friday. The estimated minimum central pressure is 999 mb (29.50 inches).

Currently, there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect. Interests along the Mississippi Gulf Coast should monitor the progress of this system. The National Hurricane Center notes that a tropical storm watch and a storm surge watch may be required for a portion of the area tonight or Friday.

It is important to note that on the current path, Cristobal's front right quadrant will be dishing out the most impactful weather to our area. This is due to several factors. The right front quadrant is a region of onshore winds as opposed to the left front quadrant which is a region of offshore winds. The right front quadrant of a landfalling hurricane brings stronger winds, storm surge and increased tornado possibilities and is generally the most devastating section of the storm. The onshore winds of a tropical cyclone tend to be strongest for a couple of reasons. Onshore winds have less friction over water and blow faster than those blowing offshore which have more friction. The forward speed of the entire cyclone also adds to the speed of the winds in the right front quadrant. For faster moving hurricanes this can increase the winds substantially.​

We encourage you to begin making preparations now for potential tropical weather activity going into the weekend. As always, we will keep you informed and up-to-date with the latest information from the National Hurricane Center.

RALEIGH, MS - Tropical Storm Christobal has formed in the southern Gulf of Mexico, and will pose a threat to the Mississippi Gulf Coast this weekend into next week. As such, we will begin issuing daily alerts on this system as it moves closer to the Gulf Coast. 

At 10:00 AM CDT, the center of Cristobal was located near latitude 18.6N, longitude 92.0W. Cristobal is moving toward the SSE near 3 mph, and a turn toward the east is expected later today. A turn toward the NNE and north is expected on Thursday and Friday. On the forecast track, the center will move over the land mass of eastern Mexico through Thursday. The center is forecast to move back over the Gulf of Mexico by Friday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph with higher gusts. Slow weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Cristobal will likely become a tropical depression by Thursday evening. Some re-strengthening is expected to begin on Friday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 995 mb (29.39 inches).

It is imperative that you plan now for potential tropical storm conditions. You can find information on how to plan for a tropical system by downloading the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency's 2020 Hurricane Preparedness Guide at https://www.msema.org/…/39779_MEMA-Hurrican-Preparedness.pdf
Should an evacuation be ordered for the Gulf Coast, please make yourself aware of the evacuation routes.

Evacuation routes in coastal Mississippi are:
- Interstate 10
- Interstate 110
- Interstate 59
- US Highway 90
- US Highway 49
- US Highway 98
- State Route 43
- State Route 603
- State Route 53
- State Route 605
- State Route 67
- State Route 15
- State Route 609
- State Route 57
- State Route 63

While an evacuation would not be expected for Smith County, evacuation routes in Smith County include:
- State Route 35
- State Route 28
- State Route 13
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The next update for Smith County will be at 8:00PM tomorrow.