BLOCKING OUT THE RAIN

A tropical storm could bring heavy rains, strong winds and possible tornadoes to Fairfield County late Friday into Saturday morning.

The National Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning on Friday for a large swath of Fairfield County, from Bridgeport down to Stamford.

The storm, which formed off the coast of North Carolina, features “dangerous,” strong gusts of wind from 30 to 50 mph and peak rainfalls of 2 to 4 inches, and more in some cases.

The storm warning cautions residents in the area to prepare for possible wind damage, including fallen tree limbs, hazardous driving conditions and damage to porches, awnings, sheds and even unanchored mobile homes.

The NWS said storm conditions are also “somewhat favorable” to tornadoes.

“Locations could realize roofs peeled off buildings, chimneys toppled, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, large tree tops and branches snapped off, shallow rooted trees knocked over, moving vehicles blown off roads, and small boats pulled from moorings,” the warning said.

There will also be a flash flood warning in effect during the duration of the storm.

“Consider protective actions if you are in an area vulnerable to flooding,” the NWS said.

Hazardous weather, including thunderstorms, could begin as early as 10 a.m. Friday. The storms are expected to continue until early Saturday morning.

Matthew Brown / Hearst Connecticut Media A young woman shields herself from the rain shower of a tropical storm passing through Stamford on Friday. For more on the tropical storm,

Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media Wind and kite surfers including Norwalk resident Ed Diehardt, above, take to the waters off claf Pasture Beach to take adavatage of the high winds brought by Tropical Storm Fay on Friday in Norwalk.