Tropical Storm Sally, the earliest “S” named storm on record, has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Flood watches were put into effect on Saturday, Sept. 12 along Florida’s West coast. Hurricane watches were also put into effect from Louisiana to Florida and two to four inches of rain is expected to come over the weekend.

“While we ultimately don’t know where Sally will make landfall, much of Southeast Louisiana is in the storm’s cone and the risk of tropical storm force or hurricane strength winds continues to increase,” Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said in a press release. “This storm has the potential to be very serious.”

Mr. Edwards declared a state of emergency on Saturday, Sept. 12. He warned residents of the metro New Orleans area and St. Tammany Parish to stay alert for all updates and to prepare for evacuations. National Guard soldiers have prepared with rescue vehicles, life vests, and chemical lights in case of high-water rescues.

“We have reason to be concerned about this storm,” Mr. Edwards said in a news conference.  “This is going to be a slow-moving storm along a similar path to what Hurricane Isaac took. We have every reason to believe that this storm presents a serious threat to the people of southeast Louisiana.”

According to the National Hurricane Center, Sally is moving towards the Gulf Coast bringing “extreme life-threatening” floods. The eye of the storm is expected to hit near the coast of Southeastern Louisiana by Wednesday.

“The cyclone will likely become a hurricane in two to three days, although an increase in vertical shear could slow the rate of intensification over the northern Gulf of Mexico,” National Hurricane Center said in a press release. “During this time, Sally should move generally west-northwestward or northwestward with a decrease in forward speed on Monday.”

Hurricane Sally is expected to bring a total of five to 10 inches of rain to the Florida Panhandle, and six to 12 inches of rain over to the Central Gulf Coast by the end of the week. Currently, Sandy is moving West at eight mph, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.

“Our family is currently waiting for Hurricane Sally,” Victoria Pantovic said. “We’ve put up every single thing out in our yard that could possibly blow around. I’ve cooked, cleaned, and finished laundry in case we lose power.”

On average, there are twelve hurricanes per hurricane season. So far, there have been 18 named storms, many of them breaking records for being the earliest named hurricane to date. Sally is currently one of six storms being watched in the Atlantic. There are two tropical storms, two tropical depressions, and two tropical disturbances.