November 11, 2020
Jim Saunders, NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
TALLAHASSEE --- Pointing to the “erratic nature” of the storm as it threatened a large part of Florida’s west coast, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday expanded a state of emergency and asked President Donald Trump for a federal emergency declaration as Tropical Storm Eta prepared to make landfall Thursday.
CURRENT SITUATION
Then National Hurricane Center has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for coastal Hernando County. A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.
CURRENT SITUATION
The center of Eta is located about 210 miles southwest of Fort Myers, moving southwest at 14 mph. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph. The center of Eta will continue moving away from the southwest Florida coast through the afternoon/evening hours. Eta is no longer forecast to become a Category 1 hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico but remain a tropical storm.
On Friday afternoon, Aug. 21, 2020, Hernando County Commissioners and county staff members held a special meeting to discuss the storms that are moving into the Gulf of Mexico: Tropical Storm Laura and Tropical Storm Marco.
CURRENT SITUATION
The National Hurricane Center has recently upgraded Tropical Depression Thirteen to Tropical Storm Laura.
As Tropical Storm Cristobal drifts slowly northward through the Gulf of Mexico at the end of the week, a southerly wind flow over the Florida peninsula will create the potential for coastal flooding and a prolonged wet pattern through at least Monday. Areas from Hernando Beach northward could see water levels rise 2 to 4 feet above ground level. Combined with heavy rains at high tide, this may lead to slow drainage and coastal road flooding.
On April 20, 2020, a tornado that touched down in Marion County on I-75 near mile marker 340 caused some big damage, but it could have been much worse.
There are two tropical systems that we are watching in the Atlantic but both are expected to turn to the north in the coming days and not impact the United States coastline. We have Lorenzo in the Far Eastern Atlantic and likely to become a major hurricane, but once again we think it will curve to the north well before threatening the U.S. Stay aware in the coming weeks because this is a busy time in the tropics. On the local scene in Hernando County, we are looking sunny through Sunday with highs around 92 and lows near 69.
By Steve Norris
