As of 10 A.M. Thursday, the National Hurricane Center issued the first advisory on Potential Tropical Cyclone 16, formerly known as Invest 96L. The system is expected to become Tropical Storm Nestor sometime on Thursday as it tracks toward the north-central Gulf Coast. A Potential Tropical Cyclone is a disturbance that has not formed into a tropical depression, tropical storm, or hurricane, but is threatening land within 48 hours.
Potential Tropical Cyclone 16 has maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour and is moving to the north at 8 m.p.h.. The first track brings the storm toward the Florida Panhandle, but the “cone of uncertainty” includes portions of extreme southeast Louisiana, Southwest Alabama to near Apalachicola, Florida. The forecast cone has it making landfall near Destin, Florida, but keep in mind, changes will likely occur with this path.
A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for Grand Isle to mouth of the Pearl River, Mississippi/Alabama border to the Ochlockonee River, Florida.
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect from east of the Ochlockonee River to Yankeetown, Florida.
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect from Indian Pass, Florida to Clearwater, Florida.
The impacts with this storm will be coastal flooding, deadly rip currents, rough seas, heavy rain, storm surge, tropical storm-force winds.
The greatest impacts will be east of the center.
This will not directly impact the Baton Rouge area.
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