The system weakens to a tropical depression

On November 18, 2024By Littum

Tropical Storm Sara’s winds weakened to tropical depression status on Sunday, but the weather system still pummeled Central America with torrential rains and maintained a possible collision course with storm-hit Florida and the US Southeast.

Sara could roll across the Gulf of Mexico, strengthen and threaten Florida with flooding rain, storm surge and damaging winds, AccuWeather said. Any damage from the storm will add to the difficulties the region faces in cleaning up after Hurricanes Helene and Milton as the devastating 2024 hurricane season mercifully draws to a close.

“Some of Sara’s tropical moisture will be lifted northeast over the Gulf,” said Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist. “This additional moisture could be enough to lead to flooding downpours and perhaps severe thunderstorms in Florida by the middle of this week.”

Sarah was centered about 100 miles south-southeast of Campeche, Mexico, on Sunday and was packing sustained winds of 35 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. Sara accelerated, moving west-northwest at 12 mph. The storm spent the last two days hugging the Honduran coast, keeping wind speeds relatively low but driving driving rain.

Rainfall totals in parts of Honduras were forecast to reach 15 to 25 inches — with isolated areas with up to 40 inches — before the storm moves out of the region, hurricane center specialist Philippe Papin said in an update on the storm Sunday.

“This rainfall will lead to widespread areas of life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flooding and mudslides” in Honduras, Papin said.

Parts of Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and the Mexican state of Quintana Roo should see 5 to 10 inches of rain, and localized totals around 15 inches are possible, Papin said.

The path of the storm remained unclear Sunday. Sara was expected to weaken over land and lose some power before moving back over the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Sara’s remnants could strengthen and threaten Florida with flooding rains, storm surge and damaging winds, AccuWeather meteorologists say.

Papin said moisture associated with remnants of Sara could trigger rainfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle on Tuesday. But the Weather Prediction Center predicted only a “slight risk” of excessive rainfall, Papin said.

What began as a tropical rainstorm a week ago was upgraded Thursday to Tropical Depression 19. The system hours later strengthened to a Tropical Storm Saraand will be the 18th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30, according to the calendar.

Sara could add to the damage already caused this year from 11 hurricanes — five of which are considered “major” storms after reaching Category 3 strength or more. The most serious, Helene and Milton, combined for damage that could approach $100 billion.

Forecasters initially warned that Sara could strengthen to hurricane status, which would have been almost unprecedented. Only three hurricanes have previously impacted the United States or made landfall in November, one each in 1861 and 1935, and Hurricane Kate in 1985, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration records.