Whether Hermine strengthens to a hurricane or not, the National Hurricane Center warns of strong winds and a risky storm surge along Florida’s Gulf Coast and says rain accumulation may cause flash flooding in any of the affected states. Tropical storm force winds extend about 140 miles east of Hermine’s center, forecasters said.
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As Colorado’s weather briefly quiets, there is a lot of tropical activity impacting the USA from Hawaii to Florida.
A hurricane warning is in effect from Suwanee River to Mexico Beach in Florida, while areas from Anclote River to Suwanee River and west of Mexico Beach to the Walton/Bay county line are under a hurricane watch.
With Tropical Storm Hermine set to make landfall Thursday, the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, Fla., has issued a flash flood watch as well as tropical storm watch for Lowndes County. Whether the storm tracks close to the coast will determine how much strength the system maintains. Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in more than 50 counties. Rainfall potential of from 2.0 to 10 inches is possible.
Tropical Storm Hermine has finally made that turn to the northeast that was expected and is speeding up as it approaches the Florida coastline.
The almost 11 years since Florida last saw a hurricane make landfall is an unprecedented tropical cyclone drought in historic record.
There’s also a risk of tornadoes, the center says.
Tropical Storm Hermine has maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour.
On its current path, the system would also dump as much as 25 cm of rain on coastal areas of Georgia, which was under a tropical storm watch, and North and SC. Some models still take the storm farther east of the New Jersey coast, while others predict the storm will stall directly off the Garden State. “Georgia is expected to receive severe weather related to Tropical Storm Hermine through Saturday”, Deal said in a statement.
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Complicating matters will be a cold front that moves into the state a few hours earlier.
