Agatha unlikely threat here, but be wary

Tropical Storm Agatha became a hurricane Sunday off the Pacific coast of Mexico. For now, South Florida only needs to keep an eye on it, but remember that hurricane season starts Wednesday.

Tropical Storm Agatha strengthened into a major hurricane Sunday and is expected to soon make landfall on the southern Pacific coast of Mexico.

Will the storm emerge from its bout with Mexico and threaten Miami?

As of the 7 p.m. Sunday advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Agatha’s winds were 110 mph with forecasters predicting that the storm will gain strength as it approaches land.

Agatha is forecast to touch ground as a Category 3 hurricane Monday afternoon or evening, producing very dangerous coastal flooding, destructive waves and heavy rains over portions of southern Mexico through Tuesday night. Hurricane warnings and watches have been issued from Salina Cruz to Lagunas de Chacahua, and east to Barra De Tonala.

The question for Florida is what happens after its bout with Mexico’s mountains and terrain? Will the storm regroup in the Gulf and set its sights on the state or elsewhere in the United States?

Forecasters had little expectation that Agatha would survive its journey through southern Mexico, saying it is expected to “dissipate over the rugged terrain of southern Mexico on Tuesday.”

Sunday’s forecast showed a 30% chance that the remnants of Agatha could reform into a tropical depression in the next five days — this time in the

Gulf of Mexico.

If the storm does reform into something stronger, like a tropical storm, it would likely ditch the name Agatha and take on the first name of the Atlantic season, Alex. Channel 10 Meteorologist Micheal Lowry tweeted that Agatha would hold onto its name only if it maintained tropical depression or storm status the whole time, which is unlikely.

Eric Blake of the National Hurricane Center said over the weekend the message at the moment is to be prepared. Hurricane season begins Wednesday, June 1, and, clearly, Mother Nature doesn’t abide by calendars given the first named storm of the season’s jump start.

Former CBS4 meteorologist Craig Setzer said on Twitter that tropical effects from the Gulf and Caribbean could be headed to Florida late this week.

“Too early to tell where or what if anything for Florida,” Setzer told his followers. “We’re in ‘watching it mode.’”

On Sunday afternoon, 1 to 3 inches of rain with some isolated areas totaling up to 5 inches caused flooded roads across

South Florida, WPLG Local 10 meteorologist Brandon Orr said on Twitter, accompanied by a video showing street flooding in Broward

County’s Oakland Park. In another tweet, CBS 4 Miami shared a video of a flooded Palmetto Expressway near the exit to 49th Street in Hialeah.

While Mexico could be facing life-threatening mudslides and other ill effects from Agatha on Monday, according to

CBS News, South Florida’s Memorial Day holiday promises to be a wet one, according to the National Weather Service.

Memorial Day has a 70% storm chance — and some could be heavy with gusty winds. There’s a high risk of rip currents along Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County beaches.