Tropical Storm Francine formed Monday, Sept. 9 in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to become a hurricane before it makes landfall. Meanwhile, there are two other systems out in the Atlantic with the potential to become tropical depressions and more. Could we see a Hurricane Gordon or a Tropical Storm Helene in the next few weeks?

On Monday morning, Francine was over 200 miles southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande with maximum wind speeds of 50 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. The storm is expected to become a hurricane before it reaches the northwestern coast of the Gulf of Mexico by the middle of the week, forecasters said.

Gov. Jeff Landry has declared a statewide emergency to prepare for a likely Louisiana landfall of what will be Hurricane Francine this week. "We want the citizens of the state not to panic, but to be prepared," Landry said late Monday during a press conference with his Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security Secretary Jacques Thibodeaux.

Tropical Storm Francine strengthened Monday in the Gulf of Mexico and was forecast to make landfall as a hurricane this week in Louisiana, where evacuation orders were quickly issued in some coastal communities and residents began filling sandbags in preparation for heavy rains and widespread flooding.