Tropical Storm Could Affect Emerald Coast

Tuesday August 24 2:17 PM ET

MIAMI (AP) - Tropical Storm Dennis formed today in the western Atlantic and was on a track that could affect the East Coast this weekend, forecasters said.

Dennis grew out of a tropical depression southeast of the Bahamas and north of Puerto Rico, becoming a named storm when its sustained wind speed topped 39 mph.

By 2 p.m. EDT today, it was centered about 85 miles north of Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the National Hurricane Center said. Grand Turk is 575 miles southeast of Miami. Dennis had wind blowing at a sustained 45 mph and was moving west-northwest at nearly 9 mph.

The government of the Bahamas issued a tropical storm warning for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas.

The storm could be three days away from threatening the eastern United States, primarily the area from northern Florida to the Carolinas, said Jerry Jarrell, director of the hurricane center.

``But this could be one of those that goes up the whole East Coast and threatens everybody on the way and makes us all button up,'' he cautioned.

There was also a chance that Dennis could veer northward and away from the United States, forecasters said.

The hurricane center also was monitoring another tropical weather system located about 500 miles west of the Caribbean's Windward Islands.

``It is pretty well-organized,'' said forecaster Todd Kimberlain.

And in the mid Atlantic, Tropical Storm Cindy was centered about 1,290 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. Cindy was traveling west-northwest at about 15 mph, with sustained wind near 60 mph.

Related Links:

The Hurricane Page!

More Storms Are Approaching U.S. (August 24)

Tropical Storm Forms Off Mexico (August 19)

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