MIAMI, Fla. – Tropical storm Cindy formed in the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday, becoming the third named storm of the season.
Cindy is currently almost stationary with sustained winds up to 60 mph.
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The projected path has the storm moving into the Louisiana coast by late Wednesday into early Thursday. This will have no direct impact for Central Florida but will keep our rain chances high for Thursday into Friday.
Forecasters warn that Cindy dumping heavy rains could trigger life-threatening flash floods along the Gulf Coast.
Forecasts show the storm could produce overall rainfall of 6-9 inches with amounts up to 12 inches in southeastern Louisiana and southern parts of Mississippi Alabama and the Florida Panhandle through Thursday.
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Meanwhile in the Atlantic Ocean, Tropical Storm Bret unleashed heavy flooding, knocked out power and ripped off several roofs in some areas of Trinidad &Tobago as it swirled west across the southern Caribbean region on Tuesday.
The storm was located about 20 miles (35 kilometers) east-northeast of Venezuela's Isla Margarita late Tuesday morning. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (75 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 22 mph (33 kph).
All airports in Trinidad & Tobago reopened by Tuesday, although public schools and many businesses remain closed.
As cleanup efforts began, people posted pictures of furniture floating inside their homes and of dozens of uprooted trees blocking roads across Trinidad.
The government said in a statement that it was dispatching cleanup crews as soon as the flooding receded, noting that heavy rains were still forecast for the area.
A tropical storm warning was issued for part of Venezuela's east coast. A tropical storm watch is in effect for the Dutch Caribbean islands of Bonaire Curacao and Aruba.
Bret is forecast to weaken and become a tropical depression on Wednesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.