Tropical Depression Fred soaks Cuba and the Florida Keys as it churns through the Gulf and sets its sights on Alabama

Tropical Depression Fred's path has shifted toward the west, lessening fears of destruction in mainland Florida while the panhandle and the Keys continue bracing for severe weather.  

The National Hurricane Center put out a heavy rainfall and flood advisory to the southern and central parts of Florida until Monday. 

The Florida panhandle and west coastline could experience tropical storms conditions on Sunday and Monday.  

The Southeast and central Appalachia can also expect heavy rainfall and flooding going into Sunday as the storm hits the front of the area. 

The National Weather Service in Miami has reduced the amount of rainfall Florida will experience to two to five inches. 

Behind Fred is Tropical Depression Seven, which is expected to hit the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic on Saturday and Sunday. 

TD Seven will more than likely turn into TS Grace, the seventh storm in the Atlantic since the start of hurricane season.  

This satellite image shows a Tropical Storm Fred in the Caribbean as it passes south of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic at 8am EST, Wednesday 

Fred is estimated to hit Florida around 2pm on Monday. Florida and surrounding states are expected tp experience tropical storm conditions

Miami city works prepare sandbags for residents ahead of Tropical Depression Fred

Broward County to the Keys should suspect 39 to 57 mph winds and should prepare for flooding and possible tornadoes. 

Fred's wind speed is currently at 30 mph, below the tropical storm measure of 35 mph, as of the 5pm update from the National Hurricane Center. 

Wind speeds are expected to reach tropical storm speeds later Friday night of around 40 mph and reach a maximum of 60 mph by Sunday. 

A tropical storm warning went into place on Friday for the regions from Key Largo to the Dry Tortugas and Florida Bay. 

Fred was 210 miles southeast of Key West as of 5pm and has sustained winds of 35 mph. 

As of 2pm, TD Seven was 775 miles east of the Leeward Islands and is following a similar path to Fred, heading toward south Florida. 

It could cause up to 45 mph winds and rainfall in Florida by Wednesday night.  

Tropical Depression Seven is expected to reach Tropical Storm status and change its name to Grace. It is the seventh storm to form in the Atlantic during hurricane season this year

Seven is following a similar path to Fred and is expected to affect Florida by Wednesday night 

The US and Caribbean islands have been warned of potential floods and mud slides. Fred weakened to a tropical depression on Wednesday night as it continued to dump vast quantities of rainfall in its path, but could strengthen back into a tropical storm as it moves towards Cuba and mainland USA. 

Some 300,000 customers were without power in the Dominican Republic and more than a half million were affected by swollen rivers that forced part of the aqueduct system to shut down, government officials reported.

After a quiet month of no named storms in the region, Fred became the sixth of the Atlantic hurricane season late Tuesday as it moved past the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on a forecast track that would carry it toward Florida over the weekend.

Government crews with megaphones walked through impoverished neighborhoods in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo ahead of the storm urging those in low-lying areas to evacuate. 

Vehicles move through a flooded street during the passage of Tropical Storm Fred in Santo Domingo

Men take a boat off a beach before the arrival of Tropical Storm Fred in Dominican Republic

Hours later, the government reported flooding in one courthouse.

Meanwhile, Florida and the Bahamas are in the direct path of what forecasters are calling the storm's 'cone of uncertainty,' meaning it may or may not see any destruction at all, according to WTVY. 

Some form of TD Fred is expected to touch down on Florida soil by Saturday around 8am, with winds estimated to be around 45 mph. By Sunday at 7am, it could be as far north as Dothan, Georgia with winds increasing to 65 mph, the outlet reports.

The Bahamas are expected to see slightly lighter winds around 35 to 40 mph between Thursday and Friday morning as Fred makes his way stateside.  

Tropical storm warnings were discontinued in the US territories after pelting the islands with rain, leaving some 13,000 customers without power in Puerto Rico. 

Fred was centered 25 miles south of Cap-Haitien, Haiti, on Wednesday night and moving west-northwest at 15 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. It had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.

Palm trees sway in the wind and rain during the passage of Tropical Storm Fred in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Wednesday

Forecasters said Fred was expected to become a tropical storm again Thursday as it moved near the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas and then pass north of the northern coast of central Cuba on Friday.  

Residents of Florida were urged to monitor updates as the storm makes its way north.

Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi had closed government agencies on Tuesday at noon and officials noted that some gas stations had shut down after running out of fuel.

More than a month had passed since the last Atlantic storm, Hurricane Elsa, but this time of summer usually marks the start of the peak of hurricane season.

The storm was expected to produce rainfall of 3 to 5 inches over the Dominican Republic with up to 8 inches in some areas.