Article published: Sunday, July 19, 2026, 10 a.m. ET
System type: Tropical depression
The National Hurricane Center released its first advisory for the tropical depression at 10 a.m. Sunday. The tropical depression is in the Gulf of Mexico, 155 miles south of Panama City, Florida. The system, with maximum sustained winds of 30 mph, is moving north-northwest at 2 mph.
Forecasters alert of a tropical storm watch issued for the Florida Panhandle.
Watch currently in effect
Tropical Storm Watch for Ochlockonee River to the FL/AL border
Meaning of the watch
A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case in the next 36 to 48 hours.
Additional watches will likely be required over the next day or two.
Hazards affecting land
Wind. Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area by late Monday.
Storm surge. The combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the immediate coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide… Indian Pass to Chassahowitzka, FL…1 to 3 ft The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast.
Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. For a complete depiction of areas at risk of storm surge inundation, please see the National Weather Service Peak Storm Surge Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?peakSurge.
Rainfall. The tropical depression is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches with locally higher totals around 8 inches through Thursday along the eastern and central Gulf Coast from western Florida to southern portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. This rainfall may produce areas of flash flooding, especially in urban areas. For a complete forecast of rainfall associated with Tropical Depression Two, please see the National Weather Service Storm Total Rainfall Graphic available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?rainqpf and the Flash Flood Risk graphic at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?ero.
Source: National Hurricane Center