Public Safety Secretary Frank Perry said National Guard soldiers, Highway Patrol troopers and Department of Transportation crews have been mobilized across the state.
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Those conditions are expected to continue through Friday night, with more rain and thunderstorms possible before 2 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 3.
In fact tropical storm warnings have already been issued for much of the Palmetto Lowcounty – including Beaufort, Hilton Head Island and Charleston.
The news briefing will begin today at 12 p.m. at the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. Motorists are asked to find an alternate route. Meteorologists anticipate winds to reach speeds of as high as 26 miles per hour.
The giant yellow bridge is along Interstate 275. Nearby Manatee County also closed schools.
The rest of the week’s forecast includes scattered showers Thursday – not connected to the storm – until about midday with highs right around 80 degrees, Bathold said.
The NHC said sustained tropical force winds, up to 55 miles per hour, will slam the coast Thursday afternoon into early Friday.
Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday declared a state of emergency for 51 counties, including all of Central Florida, even before Hermine reached tropical storm strength.
The alert takes effect at noon on Thursday and runs through midnight on Saturday.
After making landfall, Hermine is expected to douse southern Georgia before moving up the coastlines of SC and North Carolina as a tropical storm. We are working to ensure counties in south, central and coastal Georgia have access to the state resources necessary to prepare and respond when Hermine enters Georgia.
Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Bryan Koon said people ordered out of their homes or voluntarily seeking shelter “just need to get away from where the storm surge is”.
At a news conference Thursday, Scott said officials expect storm surges, flooding, power outages, high winds and downed trees when as the storm comes ashore. “These rains may cause life-threatening flash flooding”, the NHC said. “So I’m confident at this point that everybody who is going to be impacted by the storm is at least aware of it and understands the things they need to be safe”.
Widespread damaging winds are not expected, but gusts to tropical storm force will be possible in most areas. Forty-two Florida counties are now in a state of emergency, with threats of storm surges up to 9 feet and unsafe rip currents throughout the weekend.
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On Wednesday, Scott signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency in 42 counties.
