By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist
September 14,2016; 10:10PM,EDT
Tropical Storm Julia will linger and increase the risk of problems related to heavy rain, gusty winds and rough seas to the coastal Carolinas into Friday. Meanwhile, a new tropical depression has formed in the Atlantic.
"The center of Julia has wandered over the Atlantic Ocean and the storm is likely to gain strength in the short-term," according to AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski.
Areas at greatest risk for flash flooding will be where rain overlaps areas soaked by Hurricane Hermine during early September.
This is a live loop of Julia. (Satellite/NOAA)Between 3 and 6 inches of rain could fall with local amounts of 10 inches or more within 75 miles of the coast. Little to no rain will reach areas west of Interstate 95 through Friday.
Even though Julia is weak, the combination of east to southeast winds and the full moon will cause minor to moderate coastal flooding at times of high tide into the end of the week.
The risk of flash and coastal flooding includes the cities of Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina.
The slow-moving nature of Julia will cause rough surf, strong rip currents and beach erosion from Tybee Island, Georgia, to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
People spending time at the beach or pleasure boating should heed all advisories as they are issued.
The strongest wind gusts from Julia will occur in the coastal areas of South Carolina through Friday. Gusts between 40 and 50 mph will be common with the potential for gusts topping 70 mph, should the storm continue to strengthen.
"Winds of this strength could bring down tree limbs and produce sporadic power outages," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Jordan Root.
There is the potential for a couple of tornadoes and waterspouts to occur.
As a result, people spending time outdoors on land and over the water need to be vigilant for rapidly changing weather conditions.
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Interactive radar loop of Julia
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Whether or not Julia weakens, strengthens or lingers as a minimal tropical storm will depend on the path the system takes over the next several days.
"Due to weak steering winds, the path of Julia is likely to be erratic and slow into the weekend," Kottlowski said.
Should the center of Julia remain offshore, some re-organization and strengthening will occur with the chance of the system becoming a hurricane. If Julia wanders inland again, the system would weaken to a tropical depression, then a tropical rainstorm.
Regardless, locally heavy rain, gusty coastal winds, the risk of flooding and beach erosion will continue in part of the southeastern United States through the end of the week and into this weekend.
Julia is the third tropical system to make landfall across Florida this season, following Hurricane Hermine in early September and Tropical Storm Colin in June.
For Florida, this is the first time on record that a tropical system was named over land. Only a very small percentage of tropical systems form over land.
The tropical Atlantic bears watching for additional systems in the long term.
Tropical Depression Twelve forms near Cabo Verde
A disturbance, dubbed 95L, recently moved off the west coast of Africa and has become Tropical Depression Twelve.
"Tropical Depression Twelve could become a tropical storm at any time during the balance of this week," Kottlowski said.
While Tropical Depression Twelve will move westward into the weekend, it could continue to move toward the Caribbean or turn northwestward next week.
"Should the system continue westward, it would not affect the Leeward Islands until next Thursday and Friday," Kottlowski said.
Story content contributed by AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun.
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