The change in forecast was a welcomed development as the New Orleans area steels itself for the approaching heart of the hurricane season.

⚠️⛈️ A tropical disturbance will bring heavy rain to the Central Gulf Coast over the next few days. The heaviest rain is expected to focus over southwestern Louisiana Thursday and Friday. Numerous flash floods are likely, especially in the Moderate Risk area highlighted in red. pic.twitter.com/ZCrcgCoB2p

A sprawling tropical system churning toward the Gulf Coast threatens to bring significant rain and flash flooding this week to a large swath of the southeast, from the Florida panhandle to Louisiana and parts of eastern Texas.

A wet and rainy Florida could soon see even more precipitation in the coming days, according to the National Weather Service, which has warned the Gulf Coast will face a flood-generating system that could form into Tropical Storm Dexter.

The system’s slow passage over Florida has meant days of rain throughout the state, leading to street flooding in South Florida. However, the Miami office of the National Weather Service expects the rain to slow down, alleviating any concerns about deep flooding.

A tropical system that caused flash flooding earlier this week may loop back to Florida next week, bringing renewed flood risks.

Hurricane center forecasters said the system, designated as Invest 93L, is forecast to continue moving westward and could emerge or redevelop.