However, the hurricane center expected Colin to lose its tropical characteristics tonight and become a post-tropical storm.
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Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency as Colin brought with it high winds and a threat of serious flooding.
The storm’s center was expected to travel north of Tampa Bay toward the Panhandle, but it still is having effects on the populated region.
Heavy rains from Colin hit north Florida and southern Georgia on Monday, knocking out power in some areas and flooding roads on the Gulf coast.
Ben Nelson, a meteorologist for the weather service in Jacksonville, said one of Colin’s rain bands contain serve thunderstorms and could pass over Marion County, the worst along the western side, early this afternoon.
The highest wind squall within the storm near land was 63 miles per hour near Mayport at Hugenot Park just before 4 p.m. Monday.
The National Hurricane Center is being less specific, saying the center moved into the Big Bend region of Florida around midnight.
The storm delivered its heaviest rain Tuesday to coastal portions of South and North Carolina, AccuWeather said.
We’ll have to wait and see if all this unusual activity is setting a precedent for this year’s hurricane season, but initial forecasts are calling for a slightly more active season than normal.
More than 10 inches of rain fell in the Florida towns of Bradfordville and Wadesboro.
More rain across Central Florida is expected from Colin today, but Miami National Weather Service forecasters said the Colin’s trailing storms stretch back into Cuba and the northwest Caribbean.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Colin’s center is moving into the Atlantic east of the Georgia coast.
Colin was packing maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour and moving toward the northeast at 40 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center said.
But York said they’ll still find a way to relax.
“We’ll just see how well it runs off”, Scott said.
The National Hurricane Center discontinued all tropical storm warnings as the remnants of Colin speed off into the Atlantic Ocean. High surf and risky rip currents were expected to endanger the Southeast coast. Many roads around the Bay Area are closed and could remain that way as showers continue to train through in Colin’s wake.
Scott warned residents not to simply look at the center of the storm, saying the heaviest rain will be to the east and west of it.
Boat ramps in Cedar Key are expected to reopen Tuesday, and city officials said there wasn’t significant damage caused by the storm.
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Hurricane season officially began June 1, but tropical systems can form during any month of the year.
