# 5720
As expected (see Watching the Tropics), the area of disturbed weather passing through the Yucatan Channel today has intensified into a tropical storm.
Hurricane models suggest that this system may intensify a bit over the next 48 hours before making landfall – probably along the Texas coast Friday night.
For now, it is forecast to remain a tropical storm. For more details, you can read the text of Tropical Storm DON Public Advisory #1.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami will issue their next complete advisory at 10pm CST. You can also follow the storm’s progress on twitter by following @NHC_Altantic.
Tropical storms may lack the extreme winds and surge tide of a hurricane, but can bring heavy tropical rains and cause severe inland flooding.
Although warnings and watches have not yet been posted, residents along the Gulf Coast are advised to monitor this storm’s progress.
Since last May was National Hurricane Preparedness week, this blog devoted considerable time to the subject. A few of my blogs on hurricane preparedness included:
National Hurricane Preparedness Week 2011
Hurricane Preparedness Week: Inland Flooding
