It's business as usual in Tampa ahead of Tropical Storm Nicole, which is expected to bring gusty winds and heavy rain to the Bay area after it makes landfall along the east coast late Wednesday.
Mayor Jane Castor says the city has done "the usual," including cleaning out storm water drains. "All of our city departments are on alert," Castor said. "We filled all of our generators. We have done everything that we can to prepare for the worst, and we are ready as a city."
Despite the fact that the worst conditions from Nicole are forecast to be along the east coast, Castor is urging people to take this storm seriously. "One thing we know about these storm predictions is the unpredictability of those. We saw that with Ian. So we prepare for the worst and hope for the best."
Castor says she doesn't anticipate a major flooding problem, and isn't planning to set up sandbag distribution sites at the moment.
Nicole could strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane as it approaches the east coast. The forecast calls for it to move northwest as a tropical storm, then turn to the northeast by Friday.
photo: Getty Images