Tropical threat draws near Florida, likely to reach Georgia

Roger Heim, left, and Terry Smith, second from left, both of Valrico, Fla., fill sand bags in preparation for a weekend storm at the Edward Medard Conservation Park in Plant City,
Roger Heim, left, and Terry Smith, second from left, both of Valrico, Fla., fill sand bags in preparation for a weekend storm at the Edward Medard Conservation Park in Plant City, Fla. AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

A storm system brewing over Cuba on Friday will likely dump torrential rains over the Florida peninsula this weekend and could threaten Georgia next week, a forecast that’s concerning for low-lying coastal and urban areas inundated by dangerous floods this year.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said there’s a 90% chance it will strengthen into a tropical storm by Saturday night as it curves northward just off the southwest Florida coast, where the water has been extremely warm, with temperatures approaching 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Celsius) this week.

The hurricane center has labeled it Potential Tropical Cyclone Four for now. The next name on this season’s list is Debby. “Regardless of development, heavy rains could cause areas of flash flooding across Florida, Cuba, and the Bahamas through the weekend,” its advisory said.