Zeta Nears Landfall: What To Know In Tuscaloosa

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — Meteorologists predict Tropical Storm Zeta will strengthen to a hurricane ahead of its expected landfall on the Louisiana Gulf Coast Wednesday evening, which could lead to some marginal impacts, mostly wind and rain, being felt in west Alabama.

The National Weather Service on Tuesday issued a tropical storm watch for Tuscaloosa and a wide swath of the southeast from Wednesday afternoon into Thursday morning, meaning that tropical storm-force winds are possible in the area within the next 48 hours.

The latest local forecast Tuesday night from the NWS predicts winds in Tuscaloosa to be below tropical storm levels, coming in at 25-35 mph with gusts possible up to 45 mph.

Click here to subscribe to our daily email newsletters and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices for free. You can also support local journalism by donating as little as $5 a month to become a supporting member or by downloading our free Patch mobile app.

While the possibility of tornadoes will be low, the NWS did also issue a flash flood watch for Tuscaloosa County running from Wednesday afternoon until Thursday morning. In terms of rain, meteorologists said amounts could be 1-3 inches, with higher amounts possible locally.

Tuscaloosa City EMA Director Nick Lolley updated the Tuscaloosa City Council on the tropical storm watch during its regular meeting on Tuesday, which came just hours after the advisory was issued.

Lolley reported the current forecast information and said he has been in close contact with Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue, Tuscaloosa County and the city of Northport ahead of any possible severe weather.

"It's not supposed to impact us much at all but we are working with [Tuscaloosa Fire Chief Robert Smith] very closely on this issue," he said. "We will know more information probably [Wednesday] morning."

Lolley told the Council and public via Facebook Live that weather from Tropical Storm Zeta would likely be felt in Tuscaloosa Wednesday night around 11 p.m. and on into Thursday morning around 4 a.m.

Stay safe with the latest in severe weather in Tuscaloosa County by signing up for TuscALERT to receive up-to-the-minute mobile notifications on severe weather warnings and watches for where you live.

Follow Patch here for updates or on Facebook and Twitter.