Tropical Storm Gabrielle 2013: Storm Downgraded To Tropical Depression As It Passes Puerto Rico

Tropical Storm Gabrielle continues to roll along towards Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, but has lost a significant amount of power since it was first detected. The seventh named storm of the season is expected to hit the northern region of the Caribbean with heavy rains Thursday. Forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have downgraded the storm to a tropical depression. It will drop 4 inches of rain in Puerto Rico and up to 8 inches in other regions, according to the the National Hurricane Center in Miami. While the storm is not expected to ravage the area as first anticipated, the center advised residents to take caution, as large amounts of rain could result in other consequences. "These rains could cause dangerous flash floods and mudslides over mountainous terrain," it wrote.

Gabrielle formed from a wave leaving the African coast August 25. It traveled Sunday near the Lesser Antilles before moving into the Caribbean. Winds are expected to reach 35 mph, forecasters said late Thursday morning, down from the originally predicted 39 mph. It was situated 80 miles south of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic at the time of its downgrade. In response to the downgrade, Puerto Rico voided its watches and warnings, and the Dominican Republic dropped all but a storm watch from Cabo Engano to Cabo Frances Viejo. The depression is expected to stay in the area for the next few days.

The tropical depression has been behaving oddly, however, since it began interracting with land. Its patterns are scattered, and it has become difficult for storm trackers to find a center of circulation. The National Hurricane Center said the storm could likely begin to intensify again during the next five days. The storm will likely move into the open Atlantic with a possibility of grazing Bermuda. The center said it is very certain that the storm will continue moving north before curving back northeast. There has yet to be a hurricane in the Atlantic since the start of the season.