Weather
Hurricane Irma Guns For Tampa Bay: Info You Need To Know
As Hurricane Irma's threat to the Tampa Bay area rises, find out where to go for must-know information.
CLEARWATER, FL — With hurricane and storm surge warnings up for much of the west coast of Florida, the time for Tampa Bay area residents to batten down the hatches has come. At the National Weather Service’s Tampa Bay office in Ruskin, forecasters have issued a flash flood watch through 8 a.m. Sept. 11, in addition to the ongoing warnings.
Forecasters say tropical storm-force winds are likely to be felt in much of the region on Sunday while hurricane-force winds are expected Sunday evening and into Monday afternoon. Wind poses an “extreme” threat to life and property in region, forecasters wrote in Saturday morning’s 6 a.m. hurricane warning report. Flooding rains and tornadoes are also concerns as Irma approaches.
By 5 a.m. Saturday, Irma, the beast that tore through the Caribbean, leaving at least 20 people dead in its wake, was packing maximum sustained winds of 155 mph. Irma was located about 245 miles south-southeast of Miami, moving west-northwest at 12 mph. (For more hurricane news or local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Tampa Patch, and click here to find your local Florida Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)
Find out what's happening in Clearwaterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Hurricane and storm surge warnings were up Saturday morning along the west coast from the very tip of the peninsula through Chassahowitzka in Citrus County. Hurricane and storm surge warnings mean those conditions are anticipated within the warning area over the next 36 hours.
Watch: FEMA Tells Floridians In Irma's Path To 'Get Out Now'
Find out what's happening in Clearwaterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Like Clearwater Patch on Facebook and keep reading below:
On its current projected path, Irma is expected to clear the northern Cuban coastline by Saturday and make landfall in Florida sometime Sunday. The storm is projected to be in the Tampa Bay area in the overnight hours Sunday through Monday morning.
To help make sure Tampa Bay-area residents are prepared for what might blow our way, here is a county-by-county breakdown of where to go for important hurricane information:
Pinellas County
The county has put together an extensive list of resources available to residents on its website. Residents can follow these links to access information on:
Pasco County
The county’s Office of Emergency Management website offers a variety of resources for the storm season. Follow these links for specific information on:
Sarasota County
Residents will find the county’s emergency management website is the place to go for everything they need to know about surviving the season. Follow these links for specific information on:
Manatee County
Manatee County Emergency Management office provides a wealth of information on its website. Follow these links for specific information on:
Hillsborough County
The county’s Office of Emergency Management website offers everything residents here need to know to weather a storm. Follow these links for information on:
Polk County
The county’s Office of Emergency Management website offers the information residents need if a storm makes its way into the region. Follow these links for information on:
Residents readying for the upcoming season can get tips and advice on the federal government’s Ready.gov website.
Image courtesy of the National Hurricane Center
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
