A tropical storm watch was in place from Florida’s western border to Mississippi on Monday due to a depression expected to become a named storm later in the day.
If named, the system now designated Tropical Depression Two would become Bertha.
The depression, located in the Gulf about 120 miles south of Panama City early Monday, was moving slowly northwestward.
According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm was sandwiched between two mid-level ridges: one to its northwest centered over the Rockies and one to its southeast centered near the Bahamas. According to the center, the ridges could steer the depression toward the Mississippi River within three days.
“This tropical rainstorm will likely move into the Florida Panhandle or the Big Bend area, bringing flooding rain across portions of the southeastern United States,” said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather hurricane expert. “While rainfall will be welcome across portions of the Florida Panhandle due to an ongoing drought, the flooding risk can be increased due to dry soil. This dry, hard soil can allow the water to run off instead of being absorbed right away."