Storm of Discussion on What is in a Name. Invest 91L vs Tropical Storm Bill? Texas Prepares for a Tropical Storm. Upgraded

Upgrade in process.

Will update with graphics as they come out..

God Bless the NWS really!

They do an amazing job, every day all across the USA.

With a name, without a name they are there.

Writing discussion

Issuing watches and warnings

Informing the public of weather dangers

Excellent discussion from NWS Houston

There has been a storm of discussion all afternoon why the NHC did not upgrade Invest 91L to Tropical Depression or Tropical Storm status earlier. Without being designated they cannot put out watches, warnings and lots of pretty graphics for the public. The general public, the Average Joe or Bill doesn't usually respect a weather unless it has a NAME. That is one reason the TWC went ahead and began naming Winter Storms. People pay attention to a name. The term "anonymous" gets old fast. 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/hurricane-sandy-recap-historic-storm-from-storm-surge-to-snow/2012/10/31/9a7c56d8-2362-11e2-ac85-e669876c6a24_blog.html

When Sandy was making landfall in New York they downgraded it just prior to landfall. People were upset, confused and the NHC had said they would not go through that again and find better ways to keep the public alert and informed. True this is far from a Major Hurricane about to make landfall near New York City. But, it is a large, wet tropical system that is making landfall in an area that just had record flooding. 

There is a discussion on the Brown Ocean Effect with this storm as the ground, the brown ground is still wet and still filled with moisture. In this case rather than falling apart rapidly this storm may in fact hang in there and get more impressive over the very brown ground.  

http://mashable.com/2015/06/15/texas-floods-brown-ocean-storm/

Time will tell. Timing is everything, especially with regard to tides so I am posting tidal information below for the area most likely to be where this storm makes landfall.

Tide information ...Timing is everything

People are being asked to evacuate low lying areas

(looks nice there... I'd like to see it)

Everyone is watching this system come together

Flood watches are going up.

Understand the ground in Texas is not like in South Florida

South Florida is porous.

When it rains the water goes down through the limestone... 

http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1034&context=geog_fac_pub

In some places Down South the ground is hard red clay.

When it rains it just stays there sort of "mushy"

I see it when I'm in NC

Blows me away.

Stays that way.

Brown Ocean Effect

One explanation why it may intensify or hang in over land.

Read the links above.

Again time will tell and that time is coming soon

There has been a lot of criticism of the NHC

Luckily between the NWS, TWC and Local Media

People are taking this seriously

I hope they are taking it as seriously as they should.

Especially inland away from the coast.

And, when I say "coast" be aware it's a long coastline.

Lots of islands

Low lying areas

Bayous

Up close...

Very low lying barrier islands.

Lots of fisherman and seasonal tourists.

Flooding from Tropical Storm Allison

The problem with this storm is that it will merge with a front

(well tropical systems often do...)

And create a swath of weather over a large area.

You can watch as this storm makes landfall

http://www.spaghettimodels.com/cities/galveston.htm

My bottom line... 

Convection looks better.

Some banding.

Signs of Outflow

Low pressure center...

...tho not a "pretty center" it's a "center"

Moving towards land.

Needs a name.

Needs warnings.

I'm not the NHC

I am just giving my belief.

In truth... 

Employers don't respect "no name storms"

People respect "names"

People respect NHC advisories

I wish the NWS got that sort of respect

Put in NWS Briefing into a browser

I got this

When you put in NHC Briefing... 

Press Conferences

Become familiar with your NWS

www.weather.gov

They are there all the time.

A defined circulation center or not.

If there is weather... 

...they are on top of it

24/7

365 Days a Year

Besos Bobbi

Ps. Bonus video of John Hope covering TS Allison on TWC