A tropical storm watch is now posted from the mouth of the Suwannee River in Florida to just east of Pascagoula, Mississippi. <br>
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Forecasters look for a tropical storm warning to be posted later Thursday. Tropical Depression Nine is nearly stationary in the Gulf of Mexico, centered about 215 miles south of Pensacola. <br>
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The National Hurricane Center looks for a slow northward movement to begin later Thursday. Top sustained winds are now at about 35 miles an hour, and an Air Force plane is checking the system now to get more information. <br>
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Rain from the depression is well east of the center, over the Florida peninsula. Forecastgers say up to six inches of rain is possible in many areas. <br>
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Experts look for the system to gain no more than tropoical storm status before landfall, which is now projected in the Florida Panhandle in the coming couple of days. After that, they look for it push push over the Southeastern U.S. as a weakening system.
