Fri Jul 18 21:40:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:

**Gulf Coast Braces for Heavy Rainfall as Tropical Disturbance Moves West**

**By Amy Graff, *The Times***

**NEW ORLEANS** — A tropical disturbance is bringing heavy rainfall to Louisiana, Mississippi, and parts of Alabama, with the heaviest rain expected to continue through Friday and linger into Saturday. While New Orleans is expected to avoid the worst of the downpours, southern Louisiana is in the path of the storm activity.

“It doesn’t appear to be a huge impact to New Orleans, but this could change,” said Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center. “Forecasting the exact place of an individual thunderstorm can be difficult.”

Flood watches are currently in effect for southern Louisiana and the far southern part of Mississippi, with localized flash flood warnings already issued in some areas. Authorities urge residents to monitor local weather reports and take necessary precautions.

While a tropical disturbance is often the precursor to a tropical storm, the National Hurricane Center reports that this particular system is unlikely to intensify. “It’s just going to be a rain producer,” Mr. Oravec said. “There’s not much wind with it.”

The same disturbance brought significant rainfall to parts of Florida earlier in the week, with some areas near Tampa recording over nine inches of rain. The system moved onshore near St. Augustine before continuing westward.

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