Boaters Urged To Find Safe Harbor Immediately On West-Central Coast

TAMPA BAY, FL — A tornado watch issued by the National Weather Service has forced the closure of the rain-or-shine Gasparilla Music Festival in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.

Thousands of concert goers were ordered to leave the weekend concert event due to the possibility of severe thunderstorms with the potential to spawn tornadoes in 33 Florida counties including Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Pinellas, Polk, Pasco, Orange, Citrus, northern Sumter and Hernando counties.

The tornado watch is in effect until 10 p.m. and includes coastal waters in west-central Florida where the weather service has issued a special marine warning.

Anyone out in a boat at this time along the west-central Florida coast is being warned to move to safe harbor immediately. Gusty winds and high waves are expected.

Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Parrish, or 15 miles east of Palmetto, moving northeast at 40 mph.

The weather service said there may be wind gusts of 50 mph that could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects outdoors, along with pea-size hail.

A special marine warning has been issued for coastal waters from Englewood to Tarpon Springs and from Tarpon Springs to the Suwannee River until 7:30 p.m.

The weather service said there is a chance of waterspouts, which can quickly form and capsize boats, damage vessels and create suddenly higher waves. Make sure all on board are in a secure location and wearing life jackets. Expect wind gusts in excess of 34 knots, or about 39 mph, suddenly higher waves, frequent lightning and heavy downpours.

Areas impacted include Terra Ceia Bay, D5 Reef, Manatee Nearshore Reef, Englewood, Howard Frankland Bridge, Madeira Beach Reef, Longboat Key, Venice Inlet, Cockroach Bay, Md1 Reef, M7 Reef, Anna Maria Island, Hernando Beach, M8 Reef, M17 Reef, Pass-A-Grille Channel, Southwest Channel, D6 Reef, M1 Reef and Tampa Bay.

A high surf advisory and high rip current risk is in effect through 8 p.m. Sunday.

A high surf advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area, producing localized beach erosion and dangerous swimming conditions.

Dangerous rip currents are expected along the coasts of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and Lee counties.

Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water.

Rip currents are powerful channels of water flowing quickly away from shore, which occur most often at low spots or breaks in the sandbar and in the vicinity of structures such as groins, jetties and piers. Heed the advice of lifeguards, beach patrol flags and signs.

If you become caught in a rip current, yell for help. Remain calm, do not exhaust yourself and stay afloat while waiting for help. If you have to swim out of a rip current, swim parallel to shore and back toward the beach when possible. Do not attempt to swim directly against a rip current.