On 25 September 1998, Hurricane Georges entered the Gulf of Mexico after making a direct hit on portions of the Florida Keys. The storm began to strengthen over the open water and its forward speed began to slow. Georges was now a Category Two storm with sustained winds estimated near 105 mph. At 15 Z on 25 September, hurricane watches were posted from Morgan City, Louisiana to Saint Marks on the Florida west coast. Recent rainfall in the wake of Georges had been ranging between 8 and 12 inches, with local amounts exceeding 20 inches over elevated terrain in Cuba.