The National Weather Service in Mobile on Tuesday afternoon upgraded the southern portion of Covington County as an area with a “significant threat” of flash flooding this week, with minor to moderate flooding along area rivers and creeks.

The prediction came as a tropical disturbance in the Gulf was upgraded to Tropical Storm Cindy, and was expected to dump lots of water on areas east of where the storm is headed on the Louisiana Gulf Coast.

Early predictions were that the Andalusia area would receive approximately 3 inches of rain between Tuesday and Thursday, but that total could be even higher, forecasters said late Tuesday.

Areas south of Hwy. 84 could get 5 to 10 inches of rain, a spokesman for the NWS said.

Heavier rain is expected to continue today and through Thursday.