MIDWAY, Fla. (WTXL) -- The swift-moving, steady-forming Tropical Storm Gordon entered the southeasternmost Gulf of Mexico Monday afternoon, set to create a rainy, windy period of time for the central Gulf of Mexico and adjacent coastal zones.
Gordon had peak winds of near 60 mph late Monday night, moving west-northwest at 17 mph.
Gordon is projected to maintain its current course of movement, which would carry the center of the storm toward the Alabama, Mississippi, or eastern Louisiana coastlines late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
There are no sources of forecast data that indicate a direct landfall for the Big Bend region. But, with the broader reach of clouds and rain, and a wind field that can expand beyond its center, the local region will likely encounter times of rain starting Tuesday morning, especially focused in the western Big Bend, Forgotten Coast and points westward.
Offshore winds may exceed 30 mph. Surf will increase, with waves possibly exceeding 10 feet well offshore. East wind flow will increase coastal water levels by about 1 to 2 feet, while wind gusts may approach tropical storm force near these coastal areas intermittently.
Rain totals will range from less than one-half inch in most interior south Georgia counties, to one-half to one inch near the state line and the Suwannee River, to over two inches along the immediate coast and in the Apalachicola River basin through Wednesday morning.
