A tropical depression is moving closer to the U.S. Gulf Coast. The forecast suggests potential storm surge, heavy rains, and strong winds for several states. On Monday afternoon, the depression was located about 105 miles south of Panama City, Florida, with sustained winds of 35 mph. The U.S. National Hurricane Center expects it to strengthen into a tropical storm soon.
This system is currently moving northwest at about 3 mph. It is expected to move near or along the northern Gulf Coast in the coming days. A storm surge watch is in effect from the Mississippi River’s mouth to the Alabama-Florida border. Additionally, a tropical storm watch covers the area from the Ochlockonee River in Florida west to southeastern Louisiana, near the Jefferson and Plaquemines parish line.
The National Weather Service in New Orleans warned of potential storm conditions from the Florida Panhandle to Louisiana by Tuesday. Gusts could reach 40 mph. A “life-threatening” storm surge watch is advised for the coasts of Alabama, Mississippi, and southeastern Louisiana. Surge levels might reach up to four feet along some parts of the Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines. The Florida Big Bend region may experience isolated tornadoes this week.
Flash flooding remains a concern through Friday along the coast from western Florida to central Texas. Rainfall may accumulate to 3 to 5 inches along Louisiana’s coast. Some regions south of Lake Pontchartrain could see even more rainfall.
Meanwhile, in the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Fausto is nearing hurricane strength. As of Monday, Fausto’s sustained winds were 70 mph. It was around 745 miles southwest of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, moving northwest at 10 mph, but does not pose a land threat.
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