The National Weather Service has placed 15 Tropical Storm Warnings across a broad corridor of Gulf Coast waters — from the Lower Atchafalaya River in Louisiana to the Matagorda Ship Channel in Texas — with hazardous conditions forecast to persist through Wednesday night.
The warnings are tied to a system the National Hurricane Center is monitoring as Potential Cyclone One, currently carrying maximum sustained winds near 25 knots. The disturbance has triggered a sweeping marine alert covering nearshore coastal zones, major bay systems, and offshore waters extending 20 to 60 nautical miles into the Gulf.
Conditions on the Water
South winds of 20 to 35 knots with gusts reaching 40 to 45 knots are forecast across the warning area. Seas in coastal waters within 20 nautical miles are expected at 6 to 11 feet, with comparable heights in the 20-to-60-nautical-mile zone. Galveston Bay and nearshore waters from Freeport to the Matagorda Ship Channel face seas of 5 to 8 feet.
The National Weather Service states that tropical storm-force winds and hazardous seas will capsize or damage vessels and significantly reduce visibility. In some zones, conditions are expected to deteriorate as early as Wednesday afternoon.
Scope of the Warning Area
The 15 active warnings cover a named list of marine zones stretching the length of the upper Gulf Coast, including:
- Coastal waters from Cameron, Louisiana, to High Island, Texas — both nearshore (out 20 NM) and offshore (20–60 NM)
- Coastal waters from Intracoastal City and the Lower Atchafalaya River area, out to 60 NM
- Galveston Bay, Sabine Lake, and Calcasieu Lake
- Vermilion, West Cote Blanche, Atchafalaya, and East Cote Blanche bays
- Coastal Galveston, Bolivar Peninsula, Chambers County, and Coastal Brazoria
Boaters and waterfront communities near Houston — encompassing Galveston Bay, the Bolivar Peninsula, and Chambers County — fall squarely within the active warning zone. The corridor west into Cameron Parish and north through Calcasieu Lake places Louisiana’s southwestern coast under equivalent threat.
Safety Directives
The National Weather Service is directing mariners to alter plans immediately. Those in or near affected waters are advised to remain in port, seek safe harbor, change course, or secure their vessels before conditions worsen. The agency is unambiguous: this is not a situation to wait out at sea.
Residents along the Louisiana coast, including those near the inland bays and passes east of Cameron Parish, should monitor National Hurricane Center updates closely as Potential Cyclone One’s track and intensity continue to evolve.