Hurricane Warning for Barry

Aug. 5 -- Tropical Storm Barry whipped the west Florida coast with 70 mile per hour winds tonight.

The National Hurricane Center reports that the storm has been moving toward the coast from the Gulf of Mexico with maximum sustained winds near 70 miles per hour. It is expected to hit land sometime between midnight and 6 a.m. ET Monday.

Tropical storm-force winds and heavy rain has been buffeting the Florida coast early this evening. Weather had been sunny and pleasant on Florida's panhandle this morning, but this afternoon a breeze began to kick up as clouds and high humidity rolled into Pensacola, Fla.

Forecasters expect Barry to reach hurricane strength while still over water. Hurricane warnings for the Gulf Coast remain in effect, from Pascagoula, Miss.,eastward to Florida's Ochlockonee River, near Tallahassee, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The center of the storm is directed at Panama City and Pensacola, Florida.

In a news conference today, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush urged residents to heed the warnings and to take precautions.

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As of 9 p.m. ET, Barry's center was located about 65 miles south of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and moving northward at 6 mph, according to a National Hurricane Center advisory.

Krissy Williams with the National Hurricane Center in Miami told ABCNEWS Radio that flooding was likely to be a problem. A flood watch was in effect through Monday from the Gulf up into Georgia, where the storm may head after landing.

"We do expect heavy rainfalls of about five to ten inches possible," she said. "And this will also include coastal storm flooding which could bring sea levels of up to four to five feet above normal. And this can … produce isolated tornadoes which is possible over the panhandle of Florida either later today into tomorrow."

All along the Gulf coast, there was fear of flooding from storm surge. As far away as New Orleans, walls of sandbags now set along levies. In Pensacola's port, as the surf picked up early in the afternoon, many people made sure their boats were tied down.