Tropical Storm Fred is continuing its slow march toward the Florida Panhandle and coastal Alabama.
In the 8-p.m. advisory, the National Hurricane Center says Fred has maximum sustained winds of 45-mph.They warn that the storm could gain strength before the eye makes landfall Monday night.
In addition to strong winds, Fred could dump significant amounts of rain on the area, causing dangerous driving conditions. Storm surge is also an issue:
The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide...
- Indian Pass, FL to Steinhatchee River, FL...3-5 ft
- Steinhatchee River, FL to Yankeetown, FL...2-4 ft
- AL/FL border to Indian Pass including Pensacola Bay, Choctawhatchee
- Bay and Saint Andrew Bay... 1-3 ft
- Yankeetown, FL to Aripeka, FL...1-3 ft
Residents are urged to follow the advice of local emergency officials who may recommend partial evacuations for people living in low-lying areas or mobile homes.
In addition to following Tropical Storm Fred, the NHC continues to track Tropical Depression Grace. The system was downgraded on Sunday and will interact with the islands of Hispaniola and Cuba. While passing over land, it will be difficult for the storm to get much stronger. The center of Grace is expected to pass south of Florida and enter the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, where it could re-intensify to become a tropical storm again.
Images courtesy National Hurricane Center