Tropical Storm Emily makes landfall and tears the roof off a Florida beach resort as winds hit upwards of 50mph sparking a state of emergency in 31 counties
- Emily started as a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico before it was updated
- Tropical storm made landfall, hitting the west coast of Florida Monday morning
- It is expected to dump two to four inches of rain, although that number could be as high as eight inches in isolated areas, forecasters warned
- Emily is expected to weaken back into a tropical depression before it heads out into the Atlantic by Tuesday morning
Tropical Storm Emily made landfall in central Florida on Monday and blew the roof off a beach resort hotel in Fort Myers.
A portion of the roof at the Outrigger Beach Resort was left hanging over the side of the building at around 4.30am on Monday by winds reaching 45mph.
No one was injured, although Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in 31 counties and urged residents in the central and southern prats of the state to remain vigilant.
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Winds reaching 45mph blew the roof off Outrigger Beach Resort in Fort Myers, Florida, after Tropical Storm Emily made landfall
No one was injured, although Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in 31 counties and urged residents in the central and southern prats of the state to remain vigilant
Emily, which started as a tropical depression, was updated to a storm before it made landfall
A tropical storm warning is in effect from the Anclote River to Bonita Beach, and state Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in 31 counties
Emily is expected to weaken back into a tropical depression before it heads out into the Atlantic by Tuesday morning
Emily, which started as a tropical depression, was updated to a storm before it made landfall, hitting the Florida coast spanning Anclote River to Bonita Beach.
The storm is expected to make its way across the Florida peninsula over the course of the next 24 hours, dumping as much as eight inches of rain in isolated areas, according to the National Hurricane Advisory.
A tropical storm warning is in effect from the Anclote River to Bonita Beach, and a flood watch is also in effect for Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota Counties.
'We are working closely with the National Hurricane Center and continuing to monitor the storm's development and its potential impacts to Florida,' Gov. Rick Scott said.
The storm formed in the Gulf of Mexico before moving eastward at a slow crawl of 8mph, increasing the chances of flash floods.
And with gusts of wind reaching nearly 60mph, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge between St. Petersburg and Manatee County was closed, according toWeather.com.
Areas of central Florida, between Tampa Bay and Naples, are expected to get two to four inches of rain on Monday night, while some isolated areas can get up to eight inches
pictured, Tamy Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin covered up in the rain while Emily approached during an NFL football training camp practice
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Areas of central Florida, between Tampa Bay and Naples, are expected to get two to four inches of rain on Monday night, while some isolated areas can get up to eight inches, according to the National Hurricane Center.
To make matters worse, meteorologists warn the conditions are 'somewhat favorable to tornadoes'.
Emily is expected to weaken back into a tropical depression before it heads out into the Atlantic by Tuesday morning.
Tampy Bay is considered one of the 10 most at-risk areas in the world, according to a World Bank study, and a hurricane the size of Katrina could cause catastrophic damage worth around $175billion, the Washington Post reported.
The southern peninsula can expect anywhere from one to five inches of rain
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