Tropical depression expected to bring heavy rain to Fla

Scott says the declaration eases access to disaster resources and funding and allows the state to seek federal assistance.

The Category 1 storm hit just east of St. Marks around 1:30 a.m. EDT with winds around 80 miles per hour, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

Meteorologists predict that the Tampa Bay area will likely receive the heaviest rain on Thursday.

The National Park Service says it will close Georgia’s Cumberland Island to visitors ahead of a tropical system expected to eventually approach the state’s Atlantic coast.

Depending on the track, the Carolinas could also get some rain from the system over the Labor Day weekend.

The storm would be moving over very warm water with moderate wind shear, and that “reasonably favorable environment” is why the hurricane center is staying with a hurricane watch for the coast, even though the system is still a depression just over a day from landfall. Rain coverage is forecast to be around 40-50% as the moisture pull from the Atlantic increases as the tropical depression nears us. It has the potential to pack Category 1 hurricane force winds as it moves inland, state DEM director Bryan Koon said. As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, TD 9 has maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour and is stationary.

The level of impacts we see across our area are highly dependent on the exact track the storm takes. If it attains hurricane strength before landfall, it would be the first hurricane to hit Florida in 11 years. If the rain falls heavy enough over a short period of time, flooding could be a concern. A flash flood watch is in effect extending north of I-20 for Friday. Hurricane conditions are possible over portions of the hurricane watch area beginning Thursday afternoon.

A hurricane or tropical storm watch will likely be issued for the central or western Azores Wednesday afternoon.

The watch area includes the Georgia cities of Brunswick and St. Marys.

Although its path is far from certain, tropical moisture from the storm could make it into southeastern sections of Middle Georgia and the state’s coastal areas.

Severe conditions – including damaging winds, swells, storm surge of 1 to 3 feet and torrential rainfall – are expected to continue Thursday in Hawaii County, according to KHNL.

It was centered about 130 miles west-southwest of Charleston, South Carolina, and was moving north-northeast at 18 mph.

In addition a tropical storm warning is in effect from Anclote River to the Walton/Bay County line in Florida.

Tornadoes are also possible late tonight into Thursday morning, mainly across central Florida. Forecasters continue to expect the depression to become a tropical storm later Wednesday.

It will move into the eastern part of the state Friday morning.