Wet pattern and coastal flooding thanks to Tropical Storm Beta

SOUTH MISSISSIPPI (WLOX) - Tropical Storm Beta is weaker this afternoon as its center slowly moves toward the Texas Coast. For a tropical storm, impacts in South Mississippi are expected to be limited: heavy rain and higher than normal tides.

See more on the latest forecast for South Mississippi by visiting our Weather Page or by opening your WLOX Weather App.

Persistent winds from the east have caused a minor coastal flooding threat in parts of South Mississippi. So, coastal flooding remains possible this week in Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson Counties, especially near the immediate coastline and any east-facing shores; tides could be up to two feet above normal through Thursday.

South Mississippi remains on the right-side of the storm which is where a rainy pattern will continue this week. As Beta gets closer to us after Tuesday, South Mississippi’s potential for heavier rains may increase, especially around Wednesday and Wednesday night.

The NHC is tracking Tropical Storm Beta in the Gulf as well as Hurricane Teddy in the Atlantic near Bermuda. There are no other named storms.

There’s an east-moving tropical disturbance with a high chance to become a depression or storm in the east Atlantic. Because this disturbance is from the remnants of Hurricane Paulette, if this is named, it would take the name Paulette.

There’s also a tropical disturbance that will meander near southern Florida for the next five days with a low chance to become a depression or storm. There is no information suggesting that this disturbance near Florida will have any impact on Mississippi’s weather over the next five days as it will not move away from southern Florida.

We are gradually moving away from the climatological peak of hurricane season. It has been a very active season for the U.S. with 8 landfalling named storms, 5 of them making landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

If Beta makes landfall this week, then it’ll be the 6th named storm to make landfall on the Gulf Coast this season and the 9th to make landfall in the U.S.

The latest forecast from NOAA calls for up to 25 named storms this year which would take the names to ‘Delta.’ There have been 4 hurricanes this year and up to 7 more are possible, according to the forecast. There have been 2 major hurricanes and there could be 4 more, according to the forecast.

Hurricane season ends on November 30.

Copyright 2020 WLOX. All rights reserved.