STORM ETA POINTED AT SOUTH FLORIDA
Tropical Storm Eta was strengthening as it moved toward Cuba and, potentially, the Florida Keys and South Florida. The worst weather was expected Sunday through Monday.
Tropical Storm Eta is getting stronger.
As of the 7 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Eta had 65 mph maximum sustained winds — a jump from 40 mph earlier in the day when it was upgraded from a depression..
Eta is now heading northeast at 14 mph, down from 16 mph at 4 p.m. Eta was about 165 miles west-southwest of Camaguey, Cuba and about 375 miles south of Miami.
Tropical storm force winds extend up to 105 miles from the center, a figure that has grown from 80 miles.
Eta is on track to cross central Cuba tonight, approach south Florida and the Florida Keys on Sunday, pass near or over South Florida and the Florida
Keys Sunday night and Monday and be over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday.
The tropical storm warning for the Cayman Islands has been discontinued but is still in effect for Cuba. The brush with Cuba and some storm-hampering wind shear were expected to keep Eta just under Category 1 hurricane status as it crosses the Florida Keys on Monday.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for eight counties at the end of the state as Eta approached, urging residents to stock up on supplies. South Florida started emptying ports and a small number of shelters opened in Miami and the Florida Keys for residents in mobile homes and low lying areas.
South Florida skies were gray and winds were gusty Saturday as the first hint of Eta started to soak the region. The Miami office of the National Weather Service predicted that Homestead to Fort Lauderdale could see 10 to 15 inches of rain through Wednesday and placed the southeast coast under a flood watch.
South Florida should start feeling Eta’s continuous tropical-storm-force winds (39 mph and higher) late Sunday night, although some high gusts might make an appearance earlier in the day.
WATCHES
AND WARNINGS
As of 4 p.m., a hurricane watch was put into effect for the coast of southern Florida from Golden Beach to Bonita Beach, including Biscayne Bay, and for the Florida Keys from Ocean Reef to the Dry Tortugas, including Florida Bay. A storm surge watch was put into effect for the same area.
New tropical storm warnings are also in from north of Golden Beach to Jupiter Inlet, and west of Chokoloskee to Bonita Beach, including Lake Okeechobee.
The Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos and Matanzas remained under a tropical storm warning. As were the Northwestern Bahamas, including the Abacos, Andros Island, Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island and New Providence.
Grand Cayman Island reported estimated sustained winds of 40 mph Saturday morning, according to the hurricane center.
The peak of the storm winds for Miami will likely be felt around 6 a.m. Monday, the National Weather Service predicted, although the wind might not slow down until late Monday night.
WHEN YOU MIGHT
FEEL ETA
The system should take an east-northeast to northeast motion and is expected to build to a faster forward speed through early Sunday, the hurricane center said. A turn toward the north and northwest is expected by Sunday afternoon or night.
On the forecast track, the center of Eta will be near central Cuba Saturday night and Sunday, and near the Florida Keys or South Florida Sunday night and Monday.
“This could be a significant weather event,” Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said at an 11 a.m. Saturday Zoom conference. The mayor issued a state of emergency Friday evening.
On Saturday, Monroe County announced it, too, was under a state of emergency.
“A tornado or two may occur Sunday evening and Sunday night over South Florida and the Keys,” the hurricane center warned.