FOX Weather Meteorologist Haley Meier is live in Clearwater, Florida, with the latest conditions as Tropical Depression Two threatens to strengthen into Tropical Storm Bertha. The system has already prompted expanded Storm Surge and Tropical Storm watches across the region. Latest:
As Tropical Depression Two continues to swirl over the Eastern Gulf of America, it shows no signs of slowing and could bring flash flooding and life-threatening storm conditions.
Due to the impending dangerous conditions, the petroleum refineries company Chevron, which is headquartered in Houston, Texas, will shut down some operations and move personnel onshore.
This comes as officials begin storm-preparedness procedures as Tropical Depression Two is expected to develop into Bertha on Monday.
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“In preparation for Tropical Depression Two, we are shutting-in production at our Petronius facility, and all associated personnel are being moved onshore,” Chevron said in a statement to FOX Weather.
The Chevron Corp. Jack/St. Malo deepwater oil platform stands in the Gulf of Mexico in the aerial photograph taken off the coast of Louisiana, U.S., on Friday, May 18, 2018. While U.S. shale production has been dominating markets, a quiet revolution has been taking place offshore. The combination of new technology and smarter design will end much of the overspending that’s made large troves of subsea oil barely profitable to produce, industry executives say.
(Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg / Getty Images)
Most petroleum refineries are located along major coastlines, putting personnel directly under threat.
If the storm system becomes better organized and strengthens, a large area of high pressure along the southern U.S. could keep it over warm Gulf waters, increasing the chances of the storm impacting the Texas coast this week.
TROPICAL STORM WATCHES EXPANDED AS TROPICAL DEPRESSION TWO EXPECTED TO BECOME BERTHA LATER MONDAY
Tropical Depression Two is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain of 2 to 4 inches throughout the week across Florida, the Texas panhandle and the Big Bend region.
This will also bring a Level 1 out of 4 flash flood threat to start the week, before it is upgraded to a Level 2 out of 4 for areas along the immediate Gulf coast.
(FOX Weather)
As storm conditions continue to develop, it is possible that Chevron and other coastal businesses could take further safety precautions.
