Tropical threat takes shape along the Gulf Coast

A disturbance we’ve been tracking for several days in the western Gulf has officially been designated Potential Tropical Cyclone One. While the system still lacks a well-defined center, forecasters expect it to move back over Gulf waters tonight, where it could strengthen into a tropical storm by Wednesday.

Tropical Storm Watches are now in effect from the upper Texas coast into southwestern Louisiana.

The biggest concern won’t be the wind, but the rain. Heavy tropical downpours are expected to bring a threat of flash flooding from the Texas coast eastward into parts of Mississippi through Thursday, with some flood concerns potentially lingering into the weekend.

The system is forecast to track near the Texas coastline before moving inland late Wednesday or early Thursday. Coastal flooding is also possible along portions of the Texas and Louisiana coasts.

While this system may eventually become a named tropical storm, flooding rainfall remains the primary hazard to watch.