Tropical Storm Gordon Forms Over South Florida

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Tropical Storm Gordon's bands were intensifying quickly Monday morning, as seen on radar imagery over southern Miami-Dade County.

It certainly looks like a tropical storm. Rain bands of #Gordon intensifying and becoming more concentrated around the storm's center, located now about 20 miles WNW of #KeyLargo. #flwx pic.twitter.com/AyR9FWLbAS

— Jeff Huffman (@HuffmanHeadsUp) September 3, 2018

Even though the center is officially over land, the swampy flat soil of South Florida may not be a deterrent to further strengthening. In fact, environmental and nearby oceanic conditions are favorable for steady strengthening over the next 24 hours, which is reflected in the official forecast. The National Hurricane Center is projecting Gordon to have winds up to 60 mph by the time it reaches the northern Gulf of Mexico.Tropical Storm Gordon is forecast to make landfall Tuesday night somewhere between eastern Louisiana and southern Alabama as a formidable tropical storm. The National Hurricane Center will be sending a plane to investigate Gordon Monday afternoon, hoping to use that data to refine future forecasts on the projected track and strength of the season's seventh named storm. While specifics on storm surge, possible wind damage and flooding aren't real clear just yet, most of Florida's peninsula is unlikely to experience significant impacts from Tropical Storm Gordon. The exception to this statement may be immediately near the Emerald Coast from Destin to Pensacola, where tropical storm force winds and heavy rain is still a possibility.

The Florida Public Radio Emergency Network will continue to monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Gordon and provide updates in this story, via our Facebook and Twitter accounts, or in the mobile app Florida Storms.