Oh brother, another weekend, maybe another Hurricane...

[Ripley]

Meanwhile, a tropical disturbance in the southwestern Gulf still has time to develop before tracking anywhere from northward to east-northeastward this weekend.

In any case, as the system drifts into the northern Gulf, heavy rain and thunderstorms will continue to increase along the northern Gulf Coast. Also between the low and strong high pressure over the East, winds are nearing tropical storm strength at times in the north-central and northeast Gulf. The persistent onshore winds are producing coastal flooding along portions of coastal Louisiana and Mississippi. Reconnaissance aircraft is investigating the tropical low, so stay tuned.

It probably won't have time to get to full-stage hurricane, just tropical storm, but...pay attention fellow Gulf State DUers...could bring floods and wind damage. :(

[cdsilv]

1. we're under a flood watch thru Sunday here in Pensacola, FL <nt>

NT

[Ripley]

2. Wow! How did you make it through Ivan?

Glad you lived to tell the tale! That highway collapse freaks me out...have been on it many times.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

3. I'm not sure what you are talking about.

The national hurricane center doesn't have any tropical systems listed at this point.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

[Ripley]

4. Did you read my post?

That is from The Weather Channel's site and I also heard the weather guy on MSNBC say it would be called "Michael" I think...it's an M name if it develops. It is a Low now, but is expected to develop quickly.

EDIT: from your link to NOAA:
A 1006 MB LOW IS CENTERED ABOUT 185 NM SE OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS
NEAR 2424N95W AT 08/1500 UTC. A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDS NE FROM
THE LOW TO E TEXAS NEAR 31N94W. ANOTHER TROUGH EXTENDS S TO THE
BAY OF CAMPECHE NEAR 17N93W. TROPICAL CYCLONE DEVELOPMENT IS
POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WILL
INVESTIGATE THIS AFTERNOON. EVEN IF THE SYSTEM DOES NOT DEVELOP
INTO A TROPICAL SYSTEM...IT WILL CONTINUE TO BRING HEAVY RAIN
AND THUNDERSTORMS TO E TEXAS...LOUISIANA...AND MISSISSIPPI
TODAY. SCATTERED MODERATE TO STRONG CONVECTION IS FROM 22N-30N
BETWEEN 88W-95W...AND FROM 18N-21N BETWEEN 92W-94W.

Sorry I wasn't clear that it is only a Low, not a tropical depression yet.

[Ripley]

5. Sattelite pic of Gulf of Mexico...

[starroute]

6. Tropical Storm Matthew

Wouldn't be too big a deal under normal circumstances -- but right now, it's the last thing the Gulf Coast needs.

[Ripley]

7. No kidding.

Alabama and the Panhandle of FL are still pretty devastated from the pics I see in my paper. I'm happy we're finally going to get badly needed rain, but why does it always come all at once?

Thanks for clarifying the name...I knew it was an M. I guess it finally developed this afternoon.

[AnnInLa]

8. I'm on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, and

it has been raining here for 2 straight days....really raining. We are under a flood watch, and some of the streets in my little town are already flooded. The wind is picking up now. If my electricity goes off (as usual when we have bad weather), someone will have to phone me tonight to tell me about the debate!!!!

We needed rain, but this is getting ridiculous!

[Ripley]

9. I hear you!

I'm inland in Alabama, but we haven't had rain in 5 weeks except for the 5 inches we got in one day from Ivan.

Hope you don't lose your power!!