Hurricane and Storm Surge Watches now up for parts of the Big Bend

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — New at 5am EDT:

A Hurricane Watch is now in effect for Leon, Gadsden, Liberty, Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, and Lafayette Counties.

This means hurricane force winds at least 74 mph or higher are possible within 48 hours. Not everywhere in the watch will see hurricane force winds, however a localized area within the watch that stretches all the way down the west coast of Florida to Port Charlotte will likely see hurricane force winds.

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for the entire Big Bend coastline. Franklin County could see as much as 5-10 feet of storm surge above normally dry ground at the coast if peak surge occurs at high tide. This would also require Franklin County to be on the east side of the storm as it moves ashore.

Wakulla, Jefferson, and Taylor Counties have the potential to see 10-15 feet of storm surge above normally dry ground under the same conditions.

This is a reminder storm surge forecasts indicate the worst-case scenario for any given area. This does not mean these totals are the most likely scenario, but they are possible.

A Flood Watch is in effect for all local counties in the Big Bend and South Georgia. Between Wednesday night and Friday morning, a widespread area of 3-6" of rainfall is expected across the region with localized areas seeing 10"+. This forecast will be fine-tuned as we become more confident in the storm's track.

The cone hasn't changed much, just some slight shifts east with each advisory. Today will tell a lot about the future of the storm, but the most likely scenario is a landfall from a Category 3 hurricane somewhere along the Big Bend of Florida, but a landfall along the west coast of Florida cannot be ruled out.