Hermine developed into a tropical storm earlier Wednesday with sustained winds of 45 miles per hour.
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Heavy rain, storm surge, high winds and tornadoes are all a concern with the storm.
Tropical storm warnings are in effect for other sections of Florida’s Gulf coast.
Tropical Depression Nine was upgraded to Tropical Storm Hermine Wednesday afternoon.
Here’s a breakdown of what storms are coming in the near future.
This one is the most immediate threat to United States soil, as it is churning less than 100 miles from the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Hurricane Hunters did not find tropical storm force winds yet, however the storm is moving over warm water and light shear and is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm and possibly close to hurricane strength.
Bryan Koon, the director of the state’s Division of Emergency Management, said at a news conference Tuesday morning that the storm in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to strengthen.
The warning covers an area that extends from Marineland, Florida, northward to the South Santee River in SC.
This storm, which has now emerged in the Gulf of Mexico, could be the bigger threat to the Southeast this week. All watches and warnings for the system have been dropped.
It is then forecast to cross Florida before continuing northeast along the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas.
Tropical Storm Watches are likely to be posted for portions of the Gulf Coast of Florida later today.
The Thursday night and Friday forecasts are entirely dependent on the future track of Tropical Depression – future Tropical Storm Hermine – and the structure of the storm as it passes through the area.
Eric Blake of the National Hurricane Center in Miami says the storm will likely dump around 5 inches of rain on areas of central and north Florida as it approaches the state Thursday.
Parts of Florida are already feeling Hermine’s effects. It’s expected to make landfall in the Florida panhandle’s “Big Bend” region late Thursday or early Friday, the hurricane center said.
In addition to the wind and rough seas associated with tropical storms, heavy rainfall could also be a major threat from this system.
He says heavy rains could lead to flooding and large surf could damage coastlines.
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu is tracking Hurricane Madeline, now located about 400 miles east of the Big Island of Hawaii. The powerful storm is packing winds of 125 miles per hour, a category 3, but a combination of cooler ocean waters and increased wind shear should weaken the storm to a category 1 or 2 by Wednesday.
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Tropical storm Hermine has formed about 665 kilometres west-southwest of Tampa, Fl., with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometres per hour, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
