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Tropical Storm Henri forms offshore, promising to bring heavy rains
an Associated Press / ABC Action News report 9/05/03
related section: ABC Action Weather Team 2003 Hurricane Guide





STEINHATCHEE - Tropical Storm Henri formed in the eastern Gulf of Mexico Friday, sending heavy rain ahead of itself into Florida and further dampening the spirits of people living in areas soaked by one of the wettest summers in recent years.

At 5 a.m. EDT, Henri had maximum sustained winds near 40 mph -- slightly above the 39 mph threshold to be a named storm. It was centered about 115 miles west of St. Petersburg and was moving eastward at 7 mph, with a turn to the northeast during the next day, 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.

Tropical storm warnings mean that tropical storm conditions -- including wind speeds of at least 39 mph -- are expected within 24 hours.

The Sea Hag Marina at the mouth of the Steinhatchee River was virtually deserted Thursday, a steady rain falling. A downpour -- as much as 15 inches -- 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."

Added Dixie County Sheriff's Deputy Scott Harden: "We'll be getting pounded (Friday)."

Forecasters said rain, not winds, was the main concern, unwelcome news in Florida cities that have had 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 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.

Polk County has begun distributing sandbags to fire stations, while Hillsborough County is making sandbags and sand available to residents; they must fill the bags themselves at the following locations:

9805 Sheldon Rd.
4115 S. 66th St.
Turkey Creek at Sydney Rd.
7820 Big Bend Rd.
13173 N. U.S. 301
Fire station #4: 11826 S.R. 92, Seffner
Fire station #10: 8430 N. Gandy Ave., Tampa
Fire station #12: 8612 Gibsonton Dr.
Fire station #13: 7502 Gunn Highway
Fire station #14: 1404 E. 131st Ave.
Fire station #17: 101 First Ave. NE, Ruskin
Fire station #18: 1706 S. Kingsway Ave.
Fire station #20: 7020 W. Hillsborough Ave.
Fire station #24: 129 Lutz Lake Fern Rd.
Fire station #26: 5302 W. Thonotosassa Rd.
Fire station #27: Bloomingdale Ave.
Wayne Shattuck and the Action Weather Team are watching the storm from the new high-tech ABC Action Weathercenter and will have updates on the air every half-hour, and online around the clock. If any other counties make sandbags available, we will list them here online.

To check movement of the rain bands, check the animated Local Action Doppler map, updated every three minutes.

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