By The Associated Press
The ninth tropical storm of the season formed this Thursday in the Caribbean and could become a force majeure hurricane before reaching the US coast of the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
The Governments of Cuba and the Cayman Islands issued tropical storm warnings following the formation of Tropical Depression Ida.
On Thursday afternoon, the cyclone was carrying maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour (65 kilometers per hour) and was about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Negril, Jamaica, and about 130 miles (205 kilometers) to the southeast of Grand Cayman.
[Death toll from Tennessee floods rises to 22. There are dozens of missing]
Predicted Path of Tropical Depression Nine.
National Hurricane Center
The storm is moving northwest at about 14 miles per hour (22 kilometers per hour), after strengthening Thursday afternoon as it approached the Cayman Islands.
Forecasts indicate that it could become a hurricane when it approaches western Cuba and the southeast of the Gulf of Mexico on Friday, and a force majeure hurricane (at least category 3) when it reaches the US coast on Sunday, according to the meteorological service. .
Hurricane Grace leaves eight dead as it passes through Veracruz
Aug. 23, 202100: 29
The US coast of the Gulf of Mexico will begin to suffer rains as a result of the cyclone early Sunday.
The storm can drop 6 to 12 inches of rain in parts of Jamaica, Cuba and the Cayman Islands.
Forecasters warned of possible flash floods and landslides and a storm surge as high as 2 to 4 feet above normal, as well as "large, destructive waves."