An Alabama driver’s car was nearly swallowed by the Gulf of Mexico as Tropical Storm Barry began battering the Gulf Coast on Friday afternoon.

Images from Dauphin Island, which is off the southern coast of Alabama near Mobile, show a gray Dodge sedan on the beach, buried up to its wheels in sand as waves pound the car.

It was not immediately clear who parked the car on the beach — or why it was left so near the ocean as the storm approached.

Dauphin Island is under flash flood watch and a high surf advisory, a local ABC affiliate reported. Strong rip currents were also expected in the water off the island, according to the report.

Barry was expected to make landfall in the area on Saturday morning as a weak hurricane, packing winds of nearly 75 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Rain is expected to be the biggest problem of the storm, with up to 20 inches predicted to fall throughout the weekend.