Tropical Storm Milton forms just days after Hurricane Helene’s devastation

Tropical Storm Milton formed in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico Saturday morning, just hours after it became a tropical depression, , according to the National Hurricane Center.

This new storm formation comes less than 10 days after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane, bringing life-threatening conditions to the state’s west coast next week.

Maximum sustained winds from Tropical Storm Milton are estimated to be 40 miles per hour with higher gusts, the NHC said.

Hurricane and storm surge watches will likely be required for certain regions of Florida on Sunday, many of which have just been hard-hit by Hurricane Helene. The NHC said areas of heavy rainfall will impact portions of the state on Sunday and Monday, well ahead of the tropical system’s arrival, heightening the risk of flooding.

Pinellas County is making sandbags available to its residents. The National Weather Service placed the region in the potential path of Tropical Storm Milton, although it is still too early to tell how the storm will impact the county.

The system may produce rainfall of two to four inches across portions of the northern Yucatán Peninsula and western Cuba as well.