TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared on Monday a state of emergency in Florida in preparation for Tropical Storm Colin.
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Scott held a news conference at 11:15 a.m. to discuss the storm's potential impact on Florida.
"I've declared a state of emergency in 34 counties," Scott said. "Don't follow the track of the storm, most of the damage is going to be in the east."
Scott urged residents to be prepared, regardless of their location in relation to the storm.
"This will impact everyone in our entire state. Be prepared. Follow what is going on," Scott said. "We have the risk of tornadoes, lightning, and hail. If you're near water there's a risk of rip currents."
The storm has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph as of the 11 a.m. Monday advisory and is 285 miles from Tampa as rains from the storm spreading over the Florida west coast. It is heading north-northeast at 16 mph.
Tropical storm warnings have been issued for all counties in Central Florida except Osceola County.The storm intensified into a tropical storm Sunday. It is expected to hit the west coast of Florida Monday night.
Winds up to 50 mph should be expected along with rain amounts of 5 to 8 inches. Flooding is possible.
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