The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a storm surge watch as Tropical Depression Two became better organized.
The system had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph with higher gusts and was expected to become a tropical storm sometime Monday.
The storm surge watch was issued for the Gulf Coast from the Alabama/Florida line and to the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana. The watch means there is a possibility of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland within the next 48 hours. The combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the immediate coast to be flooded.
Meteorologists with the NHC said Two was moving erratically toward the northwest at nearly 3 mph. A slow northwestward motion is forecasted through Monday evening, followed by a west-northwestward or west turn.
Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft has been deployed into the depression, and more watches and warnings are expected.
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