Hazardous Weather Outlook Issued For Tampa Bay’s Weekend

TAMPA, FL — Folks in the Tampa Bay area hoping for a few days to dry out after Hurricane Irma’s run through the region earlier in the week are out of luck. The National Weather Service says more rain is expected, adding to ongoing concerns about flooding.

“Many area rivers continue in moderate to major flood stages as a result of high rain totals from Hurricane Irma,” the agency’s Friday morning Hazardous Weather Outlook report said. “Most have crested or are near crest or will crest during the next couple of days.” (For more hurricane news or local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Tampa Patch. Click here to find your local Florida Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Any additional rain, forecasters say, will “exacerbate river flooding.”

Watch: Hurricane Irma's Destructive Journey By The Numbers

Unfortunately, the weekend forecast does call for that additional rain, especially on Friday and Saturday. Residents who live along rivers or fast-flowing streams are being warned to keep an eye on water levels. The Hazardous Weather Outlook report covers the entire Tampa Bay area, including Hillsborough, Polk, Pinellas, Pasco, Sarasota, Manatee and Hernando counties. Pasco County on Thursday night issued a voluntary evacuation order for some neighborhoods at risk for flooding over the next few days.

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A river flood warning remains in effect for several rivers in the Tampa Bay area. They are:

• Hillsborough River near Hillsborough River State Park
• Anclote River at Elfers
• Withlacoochee at Trilby
• Withlacoochee River at Croom
• Hillsborough River at Morris Bridge
• Cypress Creek at Worthington Gardens
• Alafia River at Lithia
• Little Manatee River at Wimauma
• Myakka River at Myakka River State Park
• Peace River at Bartow
• Peace River at Zolfo Springs
• Peace River at Arcadia
• Horse Creek near Arcadia

Forecasters say Friday should kick off the weekend with a high around 92 degrees and a heat index near 104 degrees in much of the region. Storm chances are expected to move in during the afternoon hours. Thunderstorms are also likely heading into the overnight hours when the low is expected to fall into the mid- to upper 70s.

Saturday is anticipated to start off with mostly cloudy skies. Storm chances move in during the afternoon hours when the high is once again expected to reach the low 90s. Rain is possible in parts of the region in the overnight hours Sunday. The overnight low is forecast to fall into the mid-70s.

Sunday is expected to bring partly cloudy skies and a high around 90 degrees. The overnight is also expected to be mild with a low in the lower 70s forecast and partly cloudy skies.

Monday and Tuesday expected to bring drier conditions with sunny skies and highs in the upper 80s forecast.

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