As of 9 a.m. Thursday, Rafael is still a Category 2 hurricane. It has maximum sustained wind speeds of 100 mph and its central minimum pressure is 971 mb.

The forecast cone no longer includes Louisiana. Local impacts will be primarily coastal flooding, winds and heavy rainfall from the system’s outer bands, the National Weather Service said.

High pressure to the north and Rafael to the south will cause an easterly wind along the coast. This will help elevate the tides, especially during the times of high tide. Therefore, the risk of coastal flooding will continue. The Coastal Flood Advisory will be in effect from 10pm Thursday-8am Friday morning for the highlighted locations.

A tropical storm forming in the Southern Gulf is predicted to turn into a hurricane. What Louisiana can expect from potential Hurricane Rafael

Powerful Hurricane Rafael continues to remain a powerful hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico and while the current forecast does not have the storm hitting the U.S., it will bring life-threatening conditions to the Gulf Coast.

Tropical Storm Rafael may be swirling in open waters hundreds of miles away from the U.S. Gulf Coast, but moisture from the late-season storm triggered a dangerous flash flood threat across parts of the South over the weekend,