Tropical Storm Emily hits central Florida, bringing up to eight inches of rain and 60mph winds as a state of emergency is declared in 31 counties
Emily started as a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico before it was updated
Tropical storm made landfall, hitting the west coast of Florida Monday morning
It is expected to dump two to four inches of rain, although that number could be as high as eight inches in isolated areas, forecasters warned
Emily is expected to weaken back into a tropical depression before it heads out into the Atlantic by Tuesday morning
DAILYMAIL.COM
31 July 2017
Tropical Storm Emily hit the west coast of Florida on Monday morning, bringing heavy rain and strong winds while a state of emergency was declared in 31 counties.
Emily, which started as a tropical depression, was updated to a storm before it made landfall, hitting the Florida coast spanning Anclote River to Bonita Beach.
The storm is expected to make its way across the Florida peninsula over the course of the next 24 hours, dumping as much as eight inches of rain in isolated areas, according to the National Hurricane Advisory.
A tropical storm warning is in effect from the Anclote River to Bonita Beach, and state Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in 31 counties.
A flood watch is also in effect for Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota Counties.
‘We are working closely with the National Hurricane Center and continuing to monitor the storm’s development and its potential impacts to Florida,’ Gov. Rick Scott said.
The storm formed in the Gulf of Mexico before moving eastward at a slow crawl of 8mph, increasing the chances of flash floods.
And with gusts of wind reaching nearly 60mph, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge between St. Petersburg and Manatee County was closed, according toWeather.com.
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