Parts of Florida are bracing for flooding as Tropical depression Fred gains strength as it inches closer to the state. While it is currently a tropical depression, forecasters said it could be a tropical storm when it hits Florida. A tropical storm warning is now in effect for the Florida Keys and a watch is in place for southwest Florida. People on Florida’s west coast and in the panhandle are also keeping a particularly close eye on the storm. CNN writes:
After passing the Keys, it should move into the Gulf of Mexico and toward Florida’s Big Bend. Some computer models show Fred moving into the Florida Peninsula, while others put it as far west as the Alabama-Florida border.
“The models continue to show a slow strengthening of Fred before making landfall in the eastern panhandle or Big Bend area of Florida,” CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said midmorning Friday. “None of the global models take Fred to hurricane strength, but we all too often watch rapid intensification with Gulf of Mexico storms.”
Here are the 11 am EDT Friday, August 13 Key Messages for Tropical Depression #Fred. Heavy rainfall expected over portions of Florida this weekend into early next week.https://t.co/QgtSSCRK7v pic.twitter.com/iTrpsdfRL2
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 13, 2021
Friday, eastern Cuba and the southeastern Bahamas were hit with heavy rain.
Tropical Depression #Fred is moving through the northeast Caribbean now, and passed over Dominican Republic and Haiti. Heavy rains still led to flooding, but the high mountains on the island did weaken the storm.
Eyes are now on Cuba, Florida, and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. pic.twitter.com/px7Jr0nISS— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) August 12, 2021
The NBC affiliate in West Palm has more on the storm path above.