Posted on 09/05/2003 6:02:49 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
Tropical Storm Henri Strengthens
By DAVID ROYSE .c The Associated Press
STEINHATCHEE, Fla. (AP) - Heavy rain soaked Florida's west coast, already facing one of the wettest summers in years, as Tropical Storm Henri swirled toward land Friday from the Gulf of Mexico.
In Bermuda, meanwhile, businesses boarded up offices, and residents rushed to prepare as Hurricane Fabian picked up speed on its path toward the island. The storm could be one of the worst to hit Bermuda in years, forecasters said.
Friday morning, Henri had maximum sustained winds near 45 mph and was centered about 105 miles west of St. Petersburg. The storm was moving eastward at 8 mph and was expected to curve to the northeast later Friday, forecasters said.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for Florida's west coast from Englewood, south of Sarasota, north to the Aucilla River in the Panhandle, about 20 miles southeast of Tallahassee. The warning was narrowed by about 60 miles late Thursday, having previously extended to Indian Pass near Apalachicola.
At the mouth of the Steinhatchee River, the Sea Hag Marina was virtually deserted Thursday as steady rain fell. As much as 15 inches of rain was expected during the weekend as Henri moves across the Florida peninsula toward the Atlantic Ocean.
``It's just raining. It hasn't kicked up yet,'' marina employee Charles Norwood said. ``I hope that's all we get - wet.''
In Bermuda, forecasters urged residents to protect ``life and property'' as powerful Fabian headed toward the island chain. Several cruise ships that were docked on the island left early, and others were changing routes to avoid the storm. All Friday flights into Bermuda were canceled.
At 8 a.m. Friday, Fabian was about 155 miles south of Bermuda, an island chain about 900 miles east of Charleston, S.C. The hurricane was moving north at 17 mph with sustained winds of about 120 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
In Florida, forecasters said rain, not wind, was the main concern, unwelcome news in cities that have endured incessant summer downpours. The rainfall in Orlando and Tampa in August nearly doubled their historical averages for the month.
``We're certainly not pleased about the weather,'' said Twis Hoang, spokeswoman for waterlogged Osceola County, south of Orlando. ``It's going to make some lives uncomfortable, but we're prepared to deal with it the best we can.''
Forecasts call for 10 to 15 inches of rain Friday with even more in isolated areas through Saturday. Also expected is coastal-storm surge flooding of 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels.
The National Weather Service issued flood warnings for five central Florida counties.
On the Net:
National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.