Gulf Coast Warned of Flash Flooding as Storm System Looms

A slow-moving storm system lumbering across the northern Gulf of Mexico is threatening to bring as much as 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain this week, prompting officials to warn of flash flooding from Florida to Texas.

The tropical depression was about 110 miles (180 kilometers) south of Panama City, Florida, at 7 am local time, according to a National Hurricane Center bulletin, and may strengthen into Tropical Storm Bertha later Monday.

Tropical storm watches now stretch from the Florida panhandle to the Mississippi border as the system gradually heads northwest and sweeps across the Gulf Coast.

Gulf storms are closely watched by energy markets, and even weak systems can cause disruptions to production of natural gas and oil in the resource-rich area. Also, power outages caused by the systems may last for days, disrupting gas processing and oil refining as well as the lives of residents.

Bertha would be the second storm of the six-month Atlantic season. Last month’s short-lived Tropical Storm Arthur skirted the Texas coast, bringing heavy rains to the region.