The National Hurricane Center confirmed Sunday afternoon that a tropical depression has formed in the Gulf of Mexico, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a Tropical Storm Watch for coastal residents from the Ochlockonee River in Florida to the Florida-Alabama border.
As of approximately 1:00 p.m. Eastern time, the center of the depression was located in the Gulf Coast region, moving north-northwest at a speed of 1 mph. Forecasters expect the system to maintain this slow movement along the northern Gulf Coast over the next several days.
Maximum sustained winds are currently estimated near 30 mph with higher gusts. The National Weather Service expects the system to gradually strengthen, predicting it will become a tropical storm either Sunday night or on Monday. A Hurricane Hunter aircraft is scheduled to fly through the system later Sunday afternoon to gather further data and confirmation.
The system is expected to bring immediate impacts along the coastline spanning from Indian Pass to Chassahowitzka, including up to 3 feet of flooding from storm surge and high tide.
According to the National Weather Service, the deepest water will occur along the immediate coast.
Additionally, the storm is projected to produce up to 4 inches of rainfall through Thursday along the eastern and central Gulf Coast, stretching from western Florida into the southern regions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
Isolated areas could see locally higher rainfall totals of up to 8 inches. The National Weather Service noted that flash flooding may occur as a result of the heavy rain, particularly in urban areas.
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