FOX 13 News27%
Tropical Depression Two forms in Gulf, Tropical Storm Watch issued for portions of Florida Panhandle 12%
7/18/2026, 8:33:45 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 19 faulty reasoning types, including Ambiguity (Equivocation), Negativity Bias, and Appeal to Authority, with Overconfidence Bias as the most egregious example at 21.8% saturation with 57 hits. Analysis detected 432 faulty-reasoning hits from 262 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 29.6% and a BS Rank of 12% (16,187 of 18,403 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 88.00% of the article peer group.
Forecasters are monitoring Tropical Depression Two in the Eastern Gulf, which now has a higher chance of developing over the next few days.
A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for Florida from the Ochlockonee River to the Alabama border.
Gulf tropical development
Updated models indicate that any potential system is moving away from the Tampa Bay area if it were to develop.
The depression will move near or along the northern Gulf coast during the next several days with drier air moving in for the Florida Peninsula by midweek.
Higher rain chances are still expected for coastal communities through Monday, with a round or two of showers and storms each day.
Storm surge of 1–3 feet of water above normal tide is possible from Indian Pass to Chassahowitzka.
This is expected to become tropical storm Bertha.
This is the same broad area of low pressure that has been bumping up central Florida’s coastal rain totals these past few days.
Forecasters say environmental conditions in the Gulf aren’t especially favorable for rapid strengthening, which is why most forecast models keep the tropical system relatively weak.
A weaker, less organized system will likely travel farther north.
While most westward plots account for a slightly stronger system, according to forecasters.
If this system strengthens and organizes enough to become a tropical storm, it will be named Bertha.
To become a tropical system, it must develop a defined circulation with organized thunderstorms and reach maximum sustained winds of 39 mph.
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.