At 5 p.m. Tuesday, Tropical Storm Andrea was bearing down on the state capital, in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, about 35 miles north north-west of Cedar Key, or approximately 80 miles southeast of Tallahassee.
Law enforcement in the capital, dealing with rush-hour traffic, has asked people to go home and stay home. Some roads are flooded and strewn with debris.
Maximum sustained winds have increased slightly during the day and are now around 65 mph, mainly on the east side of the storm.
The Florida Division of Emergency Managementsays Andrea will make landfall Thursday evening, with severe weather possible, including damaging winds, heavy rainfall, flooding, occasional lightning strikes and isolated tornadoes.
The storm is affecting most of the state north of the Keys. Alreadytornadoes have been reported in Manatee, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Palm Beach and Broward counties, according to Bryan Koon, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
The storm has begun its northeast turn and is moving northeast at 17 mph. It is already beginning to accelerate northeast as an approaching cold front picks it up.
During a Thursday press briefing, Gov. Rick Scott called Andrea a good precursor to hurricane season. Hurricane season officially started June 1 and ends Nov. 30.
This is a reminder for all Floridians to get prepared to be ready for hurricane season, Scott said.
Scott predicted the storm wouldn't have a major impact on Florida's tourism industry. Keep your travel plans, Scott said to would-be visitors. This is going to pass very quickly through our state.
Andrea is likely at near-peak intensity as wind shear and dry air near the storm should be unfavorable enough to stop any additional strengthening prior to landfall. NOAA Hurricane Hunters are currently monitoring Andrea. Computer model track guidance, along with the official National Hurricane Center forecast, take the center of Andrea into Tallahassee and the Florida Big Bend region this evening and then into southeastern Georgia tonight before moving quickly up the eastern seaboard through the weekend.
Said Koon, "All Floridians should monitor local impacts of this storm and follow all instructions from local officials. You can also find updates from the Division on social media atfacebook.com/FloridaSert and @FLSERT."
The storm comes exactly on Rip Current Awareness Week. Andrea heightens what already is an elevated rip current risk for Panhandle and Gulf Coast beaches.
Regardless of the track, the primary effects from the storm are already impacting the state, with heavy rainfall expected across much of the Florida peninsula, minor storm surge coastal flooding along the West Coast of Florida, and isolated tornadoes along the Florida peninsula. Wind from the tropical storm is not expected to be significant. For more information,visit the National Hurricane Center.
Reach Nancy Smith atnsmith@sunshinestatenews.comor at (228) 282-2423.
