The August drop was caused by Hurricane Marco and Hurricane Laura, according to the Energy Department, which has not yet released stats for September and October. The previous record of 28 was set in 2005. ORLANDO, Fla. – It has been a very busy hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin as a whole, but when you focus on the sliver that is the Gulf of Mexico, the word historic comes to mind. No coastal watches or warnings are in effect. Eta could be near hurricane strength Wednesday night as it approaches the west coast of Florida. Shown in this 2012 photo, it is located in the Gulf of Mexico 200 miles southwest of Houston. Regardless of development, forecasters said this system is expected to bring heavy rainfall along with possible flash flooding to the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and portions of Hispaniola over the next day or so. It quickly gained tropical characteristics over the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, and by 1200 UTC on May 19, the system became Tropical Storm Alberto. Tropical Storm Theta weakened slightly in the Atlantic, forecasters said Wednesday morning. On May 18, a non-tropical area of low pressure formed from a stationary front offshore the Carolinas, becoming stationary just offshore of South Carolina while producing organized convective activity over the next day. The storm first hit Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane and killed nearly 70 people from Mexico to Panama, before moving into the Gulf of Mexico early … Eta has strengthened into a hurricane yet again, forecasters said Wednesday morning. This hurricane season is the most active in terms of named storms since record-keeping started in 1851. The price of oil remained relatively steady in the low $40s per barrel despite the consistent hurricane threat Gulf of Mexico production faced during late summer and into fall. The next available name is Iota. Carlie Kollath Wells is a morning reporter at NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. Oil production in the U.S. is less reliant than it had been on offshore production, mitigating the danger that hurricanes once posed to the oil and gas industry. On the forecast track, the center of Eta will move closer to but still offshore of the southwest coast of Florida on Wednesday, approach the west-central coast of Florida on Wednesday night, and move inland over the northern portion of the Florida peninsula on Thursday. I'm a news reporter for Forbes, primarily covering the U.S. South. (Image via NOAA), This graphic from the National Hurricane Center shows Hurricane Eta's track through the Caribbean and into the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Eta is seen on satellite Wednesday morning, Nov. 11, 2020, in the Gulf of Mexico. Shown in this 2012 photo, it is located in the Gulf of Mexico 200 miles southwest of Houston. Hurricane disruptions during the 2000s were known to cause major swings in the price of oil. Dominates New Oil And Gas Production (Forbes), IEA Sees Oil Demand Suffering Long-Lasting Blow From Coronavirus (Bloomberg), I'm a New Orleans-based news reporter for Forbes covering the U.S. South and breaking news. Rapid weakening is expected after landfall on Thursday, with Eta forecast to cross Florida and enter the Atlantic as a tropical depression on Friday. It is expected to move west over the next several days. It's too early to tell where it could go if it develops. Combined with Aletta, this was the first such occurr… (Photo by Gary Tramontina) (Photo by Gary Tramontina/Corbis via Getty Images), EY & Citi On The Importance Of Resilience And Innovation, Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change, Michigan Economic Development Corporation BrandVoice, The U.S. Don't miss a storm update this hurricane season. That is the largest monthly production drop-off since September of 2008, another month when the Gulf coast took blows from hurricanes. You have permission to edit this article. Forecasters also are tracking two other systems: Tropical Storm Theta in the Atlantic and a disturbance in the Caribbean. The Atlantic hurricane season ends Nov. 30, but storms can form any time. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. The National Hurricane Center releases a track when a tropical depression develops or is about to develop. Forecasts call for more rain from the system over parts of already drenched south Florida. The Associated Press contributed to this story. The auction brought $121 million in bids, well above the $93 million in bids received during a March sale. (Photo by Gary Tramontina) (Photo by Gary Tramontina/Corbis via Getty Images). There was a problem saving your notification. I'm a New Orleans-based news reporter for Forbes covering the U.S. South and breaking news. There have been 30 storms, and the latest one—Iota—was the strongest so far, reaching Category 5 strength before slightly weakening to a 155 mph Category 4 as it slammed into Nicaragua Monday night. Previously, I wrote for The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate covering local government. The storm is expected to make landfall Thursday in Florida and poses no immediate threat to Louisiana. Tropical storm-force winds are expected in parts of Florida by late Wednesday, forecasters said, and life-threatening storm surge is possible early Thursday. In about 8,000 feet of water, Shell's Perdido offshore drilling and production platform is the ... [+] world's deepest offshore rig. President Donald Trump’s administration just completed its final sale of oil and gas leases for the Gulf of Mexico. Eta strengthens into hurricane again in Gulf of Mexico; Florida landfall expected. world's deepest offshore rig. Zeta made landfall in Mexico on Monday as a hurricane just north of the ancient Mayan city of Tulum with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. ... per barrel despite the consistent hurricane threat Gulf of Mexico … It has an 80% chance of developing into a tropical depression. All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. Previously, I wrote for The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate covering. Central Pacific Hurricane Center 2525 Correa Rd Suite 250 Honolulu, HI 96822 The shaded area on the graphic is where it could develop and is not a track. You may opt-out by. Slowdowns in production continued into early November, due to continued hurricane threats from storms like Sally, Delta and Zeta, though the Energy Department has not yet confirmed production numbers. Shown in this 2012 photo, it is located in the Gulf of Mexico 200 miles southwest of Houston. Atlantic - Caribbean Sea - Gulf of Mexico: Tropical Weather Outlook (en Español*) 100 PM EST Fri Nov 27 2020: Tropical Weather Discussion 1805 UTC Fri Nov 27 2020: ... National Hurricane Center 11691 SW 17th Street Miami, FL, 33165 nhcwebmaster@noaa.gov. (Image via National Hurricane Center). Watches and warnings are in effect for parts of Florida related to Hurricane Eta. With the formation of Theta, the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season now holds the record for the most named storms in a season - 29. The International Energy Agency estimates oil usage will not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023. Oil production in the Gulf of Mexico was dealt its largest blow in August since 2008, according to stats released by the U.S. Department of Energy on Wednesday, which showed that this record-breaking hurricane season has taken its toll. Hurricane Michael formed southeast of the Yucatán Peninsula on October 1, 2018, strengthened into a named storm on October 7, and then made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane near Mexico … It … It's about 740 miles southwest of the Azores and is moving northeast at 8 mph. Here's what to know about the tropics as of Wednesday morning. The U.S. Follow our Hurricane Center Facebook page. Production is now much more focused on shale, especially in the Permian Basin of west Texas. The storm first hit Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane and killed nearly 70 people from Mexico to Panama, before moving into the Gulf of Mexico early Monday near where the Everglades meet the sea. Dominates New Oil And Gas Production, IEA Sees Oil Demand Suffering Long-Lasting Blow From Coronavirus. According to the Energy Department, the Gulf of Mexico accounts for 17% of American crude oil production, while Texas produced 41.4% of American crude oil in 2019. Forecasters moved to the Greek alphabet in September after using all the available names for the 2020 Atlantic season. Alberto was the first named storm to form during May in the Atlantic basin since Arthur in 2008. Eta is expected to move northeast into the Atlantic late Thursday or early Friday. Follow our Hurricane Center Facebook page. Production dropped by 27%, or 453,000 barrels per day, during August. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, Hurricane Eta was about 115 miles southwest of Port Charlotte, Fla., and about 145 miles southwest of Tampa, Fla.