Tropical Storm Debby formed Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said, making it the first named storm in the Gulf of Mexico this season. 
 
 A tropical storm warning was issued for part of Louisiana's coast from the Pearl River west to Morgan City, the center said in a late afternoon advisory. New Orleans was not in the warning area, however. 
 
 Debby had maximum sustained winds at 50 mph and was likely to strengthen further, the center said. At 8 p.m. EDT, Debby was nearly stationary, the center said. 
 
 Tropical-storm force winds extended 175 miles out from the center and should reach the U.S. coast by Sunday night. 
 
 "A slow northward motion is expected tonight, followed by a westward turn on Sunday" and then Debby's center should move over the northern Gulf over the next few days, the center added. 
 
 Areas from Louisiana to Florida's Panhandle were told to expect 3-6 inches of rain, and even 10 inches in some places. At 8 p.m. EDT, outer rainbands were lashing portions of west-central and south Florida, the Hurricane Center said. 
 
 As a precaution, many oil companies were evacuating rig workers and support personnel from offshore installations in the area. 
 
 About 8 percent of oil and natural gas production in the Gulf had been suspended, the U.S. government said Saturday. 
 
 Debby makes four named Atlantic storms before July 1 -- the first time that's happened since record-keeping began in 1851. 
 
 This satellite-based image taken Saturday morning shows the system that later became Tropical Storm Debby. 
 
 The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, but got off to an early start this year. In May, Tropical Storm Alberto formed off South Carolina and then quickly fizzled, while Tropical Storm Beryl soaked the Southeast. 
 
 Tropical Storm Chris on Friday briefly became a hurricane before fizzling out. Still, it was notable for being unusually far north for an early hurricane. 
 
 Government forecasters predict nine to 15 named storms in the Atlantic, with four to eight becoming hurricanes. ||||| Tropical Update 
 
 The Weather Channel 
 
 As of November 30, the 2013 Hurricane Season has come to a close. While it is possible for tropical cyclones to develop in December and January, such developments are unlikely at this time. 
 
 2013 Hurricane Season in Review 
 
 The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season was the least active season so far this century, and among the quietest on record since 1950. 
 
 While the total of 13 named storms was one more than the 30-year average of 12 named storms, that doesn't tell the whole story. (Click here for the full story.) 
 
 In addition, the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season ended with something that hasn't happened in 45 years. 
 
 No hurricanes were rated Category 2 or greater in the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico, the first year without a Category 2 or stronger hurricane in the Atlantic basin since 1968. 
 
 The season's lone two hurricanes, Humberto and Ingrid, only reached Category 1 strength. (Click here for details.)
– High winds are whipping up a 90%-chance tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico today and causing oil companies to evacuate rig workers, MSNBC reports. If Tropical Storm Debby does form, the northern Gulf Coast may see tropical storm warnings, and localized flooding and heavy rain could strike Mexico, Cuba, and Florida "over the next day or two," according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm would probably move slowly west toward Texas by midweek, Weather.com reports. Or, in a less likely scenario, it could roll east over Florida and up the mid-Atlantic, or linger in the north-central Gulf and move into Louisiana-Mississippi.