New Storm Brewing in Gulf: Florida in Potential Path

Just when people thought they could finally catch their breath after Hurricane Helene, here comes another storm system emerging from the Gulf of Mexico. Meteorologists are closely watching this one because it has a good chance—around 40%—of turning into a tropical storm in the next week. This is happening right at the peak of hurricane season, which usually lasts until November. Most Atlantic systems this year seem to be avoiding the US mainland, except for one that might enter the Gulf from the Caribbean by the end of the week. Don't worry about Kirk, though; it won’t bother us. But computer models are saying this new system could hit Florida early next week, bringing lots of rain with it. It's still too early to say exactly how bad things will get, but experts are already on alert. This is especially worrying because recovery from Helene’s damage is still ongoing. If the storm does develop, it might be named Leslie or Milton, depending on what happens in the Atlantic first.