In a post on X (formerly Twitter) Thursday afternoon, Governor DeSantis urged residents to remain vigilant. “Florida is monitoring Invest 97L in the Atlantic, which is expected to strengthen and potentially make landfall as early as this weekend. It will be slow-moving and bring lots of rain that could cause significant flooding. I encourage all residents to prepare for the storm and follow all guidance issued by @FLSERT and local emergency management officials,” DeSantis said.
Potential for Rapid Intensification
The potential for the system to rapidly intensify as it moves through the eastern Gulf of Mexico over the weekend is a significant concern.
AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski explained that “while moving over the warm waters of the eastern Gulf, the tropical rainstorm could gain strength quickly since the atmosphere will be more moist and disruptive breezes, known as wind shear, will be low.”
Brian McNoldy, a meteorologist at the University of Miami, echoed this sentiment, noting on his blog that “due to extremely warm water temperatures in the northeast Gulf, the possibility of rapid intensification can’t be ignored.”
