ORLANDO, Florida —
Tropical Depression 13 strengthened into Tropical Storm Julia on Friday. It is headed for Central America and is expected to strengthen into a hurricane.
As of Friday afternoon, the system was 145 miles north of Barranquilla, Colombia, and 450 miles east of Isla de Providencia, Colombia.
Julia had sustained winds of 40 mph and the system was moving west at 18 mph.
“On the forecast track, the center of Julia is expected to pass near or over the islands of San Andres and Providencia on Saturday evening and then reach the coast of Nicaragua on Sunday morning. Julia or its remnants then turn west-northwestward over Central America by Monday,” he added . ” said the National Hurricane Center. “Rapid weakening is expected after Julia moves inland on Sunday and is likely to become a residual low or dissipate by Monday.”
This storm is not expected to affect Florida.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND APPLICABLE WARNINGS:
A hurricane warning is in effect for…
- San Andres, Providencia and the Santa Catalina Islands of Colombia
- Nicaragua from Laguna de Perlas to Puerto Cabezas
A hurricane watch is in effect for…
- Nicaragua south of Laguna de Perlas to Bluefields
- Nicaragua north of Puerto Cabezas to the border between Honduras and Nicaragua
A tropical storm warning is in effect for…
- Nicaragua south of Laguna de Perlas to Bluefields
- Nicaragua north of Puerto Cabezas to the border between Honduras and Nicaragua
A tropical storm watch is in effect for…
- Honduras from the Nicaragua/Honduras border to Punta Patuca
KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN A HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUED
Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio for storm updates.
Be prepared to bring in patio furniture, outdoor decorations or ornaments, trash cans, hanging plants, and anything else that might be blown away by the wind.
Understand hurricane forecast models and cones.
Get ready to cover all the windows in your home. If shutters have not been installed, use pre-cut plywood.
Check your batteries and stock up on canned goods, first aid supplies, drinking water and medicine.
The WESH 2 First Warning Weather Team recommends having these items ready ahead of a storm.
Bottled water: One gallon of water per person per day
Canned foods and soups such as beans and chili
Can opener without easy-to-open lids
Build a first aid kit
Two weeks of prescription drugs
Baby/baby supplies such as formula and diapers
Flashlight and battery
Battery powered weather radio
WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT OF A HURRICANE WARNING
Listen to the advice of local officials. If advised to evacuate, leave.
Complete preparatory activities.
If you are not advised to evacuate, stay indoors, out of windows.
Watch out for tornadoes. Tornadoes can happen during a hurricane and after it passes. Stay inside, in the center of your home, in a windowless closet or bathroom.
HOW YOUR SMARTPHONE CAN HELP IN A HURRICANE
A smartphone can be your best friend in a hurricane—with the right websites and apps, you can turn it into a powerful tool to guide you through the storm, its arrival, and its aftermath.
Download the WESH 2 News app for iOS | Android
Enable emergency notifications – if you have an iPhone, select settings and go to notifications. From there, search for government alerts and enable emergency notifications.
If you have an Android phone, on the home page of the app, scroll to the bottom right and click “settings”. Click on “Severe Weather Alerts” in the settings menu. Select the most severe, moderate, or all warnings from the menu.
ANIMAL AND ANIMAL SAFETY
Your pet should be part of your family plan. If you must evacuate, the most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to evacuate them. Leaving pets behind, even when you try to create a safe space for them, can result in injury or death.
Contact hotels and motels outside of your immediate area to see if they accept pets.
Ask friends, relatives and others outside the affected area if they can shelter your pet.
