Tropical Storm Fred continues its march toward the Gulf Coast.
The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center shows the storm has maximum sustained winds of 40-miles per hour and some more strengthening is expected before it makes landfall.
The eye of Fred is about 200-miles southwest of Tampa and 320 miles south-southeast of Pensacola. Fred is currently moving north-northwest at 12 miles-per-hour.
People living on the panhandle will start to feel the effects of Fred late Monday morning and the eye of the storm is expected to make landfall on Monday evening.
Residents are warned not to take the storm lightly because it’s “just a tropical storm. The system could cause flash flooding and bring down tree branches, making for dangerous driving conditions. People should also be prepared for power outages that could last for days.
Meanwhile, forecasters continue to track Tropical Storm Grace, which is getting closer to the Caribbean. The current forecast track keeps the center of Grace just south of the Florida Keys Wednesday before entering the Gulf of Mexico. It’s too early to tell if Grace will make landfall in the continental United States.
Image courtesy National Hurricane Center