Tallahassee, Fla., (970 WFLA) - This morning, Governor Rick Scott spoke with the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) to get an update on potential storm impacts.
Governor Scott and the State of Florida are continuing to actively monitor a tropical depression off the western coast of Florida, and is urging everyone in Florida to remain vigilant.
The state receives regular weather updates from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and as of 6:00 a.m. today, the NHC advised that the storm, designated Tropical Depression Six, had formed 65 miles South - Southwest of Tampa.
There is currently a Tropical Storm Watch in effect from Anclote River in Pasco County southward to Englewood in Sarasota and Charlotte Counties and the depression is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 2 to 4 inches through Monday night along the west coast of Central Florida between the Tampa Bay area and Naples.
At this time, the depression is forecast to move quickly across the Florida peninsula on Monday and then exit the state offshore of the east-central Florida coast around midnight. Little change in strength is forecast during the next 48 hours http://www.floridadisaster.org/getaplan/and the system is not forecast to become a Tropical Storm.
A flood watch has been issued for Hardee, DeSoto, Highlands, Lee, Charlotte, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota and Pinellas counties.
Governor Scott said, “As we know in Florida, storms can quickly develop, bringing severe weather to our state in a moment’s notice. Last night, this storm posed no threat to Florida. Now, after rapidly intensifying overnight, a tropical depression will impact the Tampa area and Floridians must prepare for impacts to Southwest Florida.
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