A tropical depression is probably forming off the coast. Here’s what you need to know

Projections earlier in the week showed a possible tropical depression passing by the Carolinas after it developed in Florida — but Saturday reports from the National Hurricane Center show that it’s moving away from the coast.

The band of thunderstorms was over south Florida Saturday, and has a 90 percent chance of forming into a cyclone in the next five days.

While the vast majority of projections have the system moving away from the coast and not posing a threat to the Carolinas, the Weather Channel reported that the storms, along with a looming cold front over the Southeast, could still cause swells, rip currents and coastal flooding in the next week, as well as heavy rain showers.

This story was originally published August 24, 2019 at 4:20 PM with the headline "A tropical depression is probably forming off the coast. Here’s what you need to know."

Rachel Jones

The Island Packet

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Rachel Jones covers education for the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has worked for the Daily Tar Heel and Charlotte Observer. She has won awards from the South Carolina Press Association, Associated College Press and North Carolina College Media Association for feature writing and education reporting.