PANAMA CITY– Tropical Depression Eighteen formed in the Caribbean Monday morning and is expected to become Tropical Storm Rafael Monday as it continues to organize and move near Jamaica, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center . Forecasters say it will be a hurricane by the time it enters the southeast Gulf of Mexico by Tuesday night.
Heavy rainfall will spread north into Florida and adjacent areas of the southeast United States during mid- to late week, forecasters said. The NHC shows Bay County outside of the cone of uncertainty as of Monday morning. The cone shows the most eastern edge of the cone in Pensacola, meaning direct impacts are unlikely for Panama City. The NHC models show landfall sometime this weekend.
Bay County has a low probability of seeing tropical storm-force winds within the next five days, according to the NHC. They predict those could be felt as early as Wednesday night into Thursday morning in the area. The probability and models will shift as the storm develops. AccuWeather’s models show Panama City receiving some tropical impacts by Sunday…