Cristobal, new system could form big cyclone
Tropical Storm Cristobal soon could renew its strength by uniting with another storm system coming from the west to form one giant cyclone, forecasters say.
Forecasters expect the remnants of Cristobal, which drenched much of the South, to bring fierce winds, heavy rain and thunderstorms to much of the Midwest by Tuesday.
A strong storm system sweeping out of the Rocky Mountains is expected to meld with Cristobal in the next couple of days, said Greg Carbin, who oversees forecasts at the Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Md.
“The two will eventually merge into a large cyclone,” Carbin said. “It’s a pretty fascinating interaction we’ll see over the next couple of days.”
Wind gusts of up to 45 mph are expected in Chicago by Tuesday night, the National Weather Service said. Boaters were being warned of gale-force winds on nearby Lake Michigan on Tuesday and Wednesday.
High winds could be felt from Nebraska to Wisconsin, forecasters said. In parts of Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota, gusty winds and low humidity will bring the threat of wildfires in areas with dry grass, weather service forecasters warned. Any blazes that start will spread rapidly, they said.
Cristobal weakened into a depression early Monday after inundating coastal Louisiana and stirring up dangerous weather along most of the Gulf Coast.
Heavy rainfall and a storm surge continued posing a threat across a wide area of the coast after Cristobal made landfall Sunday afternoon packing 50-mph winds between the mouth of the Mississippi River and the sinceevacuated barrier island resort community of Grand Isle.
The Coast Guard said it was searching for two people who went out in a 20-foot yellow boat near Slidell, La., on Sunday afternoon and hadn’t returned. A helicopter and local officials were assisting in the search for Ted Roach and Jennifer Lingoni, the Coast Guard said in a statement.
President Donald Trump agreed to issue an emergency declaration for Louisiana, officials said.
In Florida, a tornado — the state’s second in two days as the storm approached — uprooted trees and downed power lines Sunday south of Lake City, the weather service and authorities said. No injuries were reported.
Cristobal’s remnants could be a rainmaker for days. Its forecast path takes it into Arkansas and Missouri by Tuesday, then through Illinois and Wisconsin to the Great Lakes.
Forecasters said that up to 15 inches of rain could fall in some areas and could cause significant river flooding across the mid- and upper Mississippi Valley.