MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- A tropical storm warning was issued Wednesday for parts of the Texas and Louisiana coasts as a tropical depression intensified in the Gulf of Mexico.
Satellite image from 11:15 a.m. ET shows storm system in the Gulf of Mexico.
At 11 a.m. ET, the ninth tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and its center was about 85 miles south-southwest of Galveston, Texas, forecasters said.
It was moving toward the north at about 6 mph, and its center was expected to cross into Texas later Wednesday between Port O'Connor, Texas, and Cameron, Louisiana.
Forecasters expected it to become a weak tropical storm with sustained winds of about 45 mph.
About 5 to 10 inches of rain were expected along the middle and upper Texas coast and in southwestern Louisiana, with some areas possibly getting as much as 15 inches, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
A tropical depression becomes a named tropical storm when its sustained winds reach 39 mph. The next name on the National Hurricane Center's list for the 2007 Atlantic storm season is Humberto, followed by Ingrid. E-mail to a friend
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All About Hurricanes and Cyclones • National Hurricane Center
AVN satellite image of tropical storm Humberto at 19:15 UTC on Wednesday, September 12, 2007. 
The eighth named storm of the , tropical storm Humberto, was named today over the Gulf of Mexico.

The  was about 70 miles south-southwest of , Texas at 2 p.m. EST and was moving towards the north at 6 mph.

Maximum sustained winds associated with the storm stood at 45 mph.

But, forecasters warn that additional strengthening is possible before the storm makes landfall.

While heavy rain is already pounding the Gulf Coast, Humberto's center is not expected to reach the coast of Texas until late tonight.

The  issued a  from , Texas, to , Louisiana.

Anywhere from 5 to 10 inches of rain is expected along the upper and middle coast of Texas, as well as in southwestern Louisiana. Some areas to be impacted by the storm may see rain totals near 15 inches, according to the NHC.

Also, the NHC warned storm surge flooding of 2 to 3 feet is possible.