According to the latest update from NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, which was published at 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) today, Colin is moving northeast at about 40 miles per hour (65 km/h), with maximum sustained winds near 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).
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Colin, now spinning out to sea after drenching Florida, is only the third “C” storm to ever form in June.
Rick Scott declared a state of emergency but said there had been no reports of major damage so far.
While Colin could strengthen some in the next 24 hours, it is expected to lose its tropical cyclone characteristics by tonight.
More than 10 inches of rain fell in the Florida towns of Bradfordville and Wadesboro.
Early Monday, Ronald P. Milligan, 74, stopped by a park in St. Petersburg where authorities planned to distribute sandbags because the ditch in front of his home had filled during the previous evening’s rain.
“The main thing is, don’t drive through flooded streets”, said Harvey.
So, when Colin was around we were practically shouting about all the rain and heavy weather South Florida could expect. While tropical storm force winds still extended 230 miles to the southeast, forecasters reclassified Colin as a post-tropical storm.
Tropical Storm Colin was gaining speed and strength Monday on its way to strike Florida, threatening rains forecasters said could cause some serious flooding along much of the state’s Gulf coast.
The combination of the storm surge and high tides threatened flooding in coastal areas across the U.S. Southeast, with the storm expected to make landfall below Florida’s Panhandle on Monday night.
Colin is the third tropical storm to form this year in the Atlantic. A similar stop was scheduled for Tampa, the governor’s office said.
Hurricane Alex became only the second hurricane on record to form in the month of January, sweeping through The Azores as a tropical storm. Twenty-four counties in the state were under flood watch due to the storm.
A tropical storm warning was extended to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
“We plan and we prepare for this year-round and we did that yesterday”, he said. Rain began falling in the Tampa Bay area just past noon Sunday.
Some Tampa Bay area high school seniors will have to wait a little longer to receive their high school diplomas, thanks to Tropical Storm Colin.
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Transportation Department officials say parts of nine roads are closed, six in Charleston County and three in Jasper County.
