According to the hurricane center, a tropical storm warning was issued for the Florida Panhandle from Mexico Beach to the Steinhatchee River. The warning affects about 55,000 people.
Downtown Mindy was about 90 miles west-southwest of Apalachicola, Florida, and the storm had sustained maximum winds of 40 mph as of 5 p.m. ET.
Because the system is so close to the ground, there will be limited time for intensification. Mindy is expected to move inland Wednesday night in the Florida Panhandle as minimal tropical storm.
Heavy rain is expected to be the main threat. Flash flood clocks were in effect in some parts of the Florida Panhandle. Some places could catch 2-4 inches of rain before Mindy goes out into the Atlantic Thursday morning.
“These precipitations can produce isolated floods in scattered, urban and small stream,” the hurricane center said.
The rapid storm was moving northeast at 21 mph.