TAMPA (FOX 13) - Florida's decade-long hurricane drought could be coming to an end next week, but that potential tropical system has yet to even form.
Right now, a tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles is known only as Invest 99L. Some forecast models predict it will strengthen into Hurricane Hermine and cross Florida; other models suggest the system may never even get its act together.
"The general trend is a developing tropical system moving to the west-northwest, generally toward our state," FOX 13 chief meteorologist Paul Dellegatto explained. "It's still far away. It still has yet to develop into a named storm so the track will likely change a bit."
- LINK: Track the system on MyFoxHurricane.com
- BLOG: Lindsay Milbourne's explains the conflicting forecasts
A Hurricane Hunter plane flew into the system Tuesday to get a better idea of what's happening, but found it was still disorganized. The official National Hurricane Center forecast gives the system a 60-percent chance of tropical development in the next five days.
The last hurricane to make landfall in Florida was back in 2005. Hurricane Wilma raked South Florida as a Category 3 storm, leaving millions without power and causing almost $17-billion in damage.
Meanwhile, forecasters say Tropical Storm Gaston could strengthen into a hurricane Wednesday, but it will remain out at sea.