ORLANDO, Fla. — A drenching weather system moving across Florida on Tuesday wasn’t even a tropical anything but has the potential to develop into a tropical depression as it moves into the northeastern and northern Gulf later in the week, according to National Weather Service forecasters.
The system would be called Tropical Storm Dexter if it became a named storm, but it was expected to be far less lethal than the namesake vigilante serial killer of the Showtime crime drama, “Dexter” which was set in Florida.
The National Weather Service said the area of low pressure off Florida’s east coast was becoming better defined and moving west across the Florida Peninsula on Tuesday. The system was drenching the peninsula with heavy rains, and the weather service warned of the potential for flash flooding in parts of the state through the middle of the week.
“Environmental conditions appear generally favorable for additional development, and a tropical depression could form by the middle to latter part of this week as the system moves across the northeastern and north-central Gulf,” the National Weather Service said.
Just six weeks into the start of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, three tropical storms have developed — Andrea, Barry and Chantal. Dexter would be the fourth if it develops that way.
Andrea dissipated in the Atlantic after forming at sea last month. Barry dumped rain on eastern Mexico at the end of last month. Chantal made landfall in South Carolina last week, and its remnants caused flooding in North Carolina that killed an 83-year-old woman when her car was swept off a rural road. Floodwaters also forced dozens of people to flee their homes in North Carolina.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in May forecast 13 to 19 named storms, with six to 10 becoming hurricanes and three to five reaching major status with winds of more than 110 mph (177 kph). A normal season has 14 named storms, seven of which strengthen to hurricanes and three power up further to major hurricanes.
Colorado State University researchers last month estimated there would be 17 named storms this year, with nine of them becoming hurricanes. Of the predicted hurricanes, the researchers said four could become major hurricanes.
With hurricane season on Floridians’ minds, state Attorney General James Uthmeier this week sent a letter to the state’s airports telling them that they must report the presence of any aircraft used for the purposes of “weather modification” starting in October to comply with a new Florida law.
After flash floods killed scores of Texas residents over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, social media users spread false claims that the devastation was caused by weather modification. Many pointed to one process in particular, blaming cloud seeding performed on July 2 by a California-based company for the tragedy. But officials say there is no evidence that the floods are the result of cloud seeding and experts agree that cloud seeding would not result in precipitation of this magnitude.
Uthmeier said at a news conference on Tuesday that “this stuff sounds pretty scary to me.”
“My letter was to put airports on notice that they do have obligations and could face penalties, including some criminal penalties, if they don’t comply,” Uthmeier said.
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