Eta approaches Florida Keys
Hurricane watch canceled for Broward County
A hurricane watch for coastal Broward County was canceled late Sunday afternoon, as Tropical Storm Eta continued its approach to the Florida Keys.
But Broward and Palm Beach counties can both expect continued rough weather from the storm’s unusually large wind field, which extends up to 175 miles from its center. A 68-mph gust was reported at Port Everglades and a 49-mph gust at the fishing pier in Lake Worth Beach.
The storm was still projected to reach hurricane strength, with winds of 75mph when it reaches the Gulf of Mexico. A hurricane watch remained in place for Miami-Dade County, and Broward and Palm Beach County both remained under a tropical storm warning.
At 4p.m. the storm was producing winds of 65 mph, with its center located about 140 southeast of Miami, according to the latest update Sunday from the National Hurricane Center.
South Florida can expect 6 to 9 inches of rain through Tuesday morning.
Tropical storm-force winds were forecast to begin late Sunday afternoon and continue through Monday night, National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Molleda said.
Palm Beach County could begin feeling tropical storm-force winds on Sunday evening.
Rain was still the main concern on the state’s east coast, while
threats from wind and storm surge were greater farther south.
The Broward County School District announced Sunday that all classes will shift online for Monday due to Eta, while both in-person and My School Online were canceled in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties. In addition, all school district offices in Palm Beach County will be closed Monday, Superintendent Robert Fennoy announced Sunday afternoon.
Broward Mayor Dale Holness said all non-emergency county government business operations will be closed Monday.
Holness said because no significant storm surge is expected there aren’t any evacuation orders rightnow.
Holness preached caution, however.
“Do not go outside until conditions are safe and this storm has passed,” Holness said.
Fort Lauderdale and North Perry Airports are operating as normal, but passengers are encouraged to check for flight delays.
All Broward County bridges were locked down beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday and all COVID-19 testing sites are closed through Monday.
Broward County bus service will resume at noon Monday after it concludes its regular schedule Sunday.
There’s a chance high winds could cause power outages. Holness called for patience, if that’s the case.
“Restoring power will be challenging,” he said.
Eta moved off the north coast of Cuba and was tracking over the Florida Straits toward the Florida Keys on Sundaymorning.
The advisory’s forecast track of Eta remained south ward, leaving all of coastal Broward and Palm Beach counties outside of it, along with much of Miami-Dade County’s coast.
However, Florida’s southeast coast is in the northeast quadrant of the storm, which means the area is vulnerable to heavy rainfall and tornadoes. Eta is loaded with bad weather on its north and east sides.
Tornadoes were possible across south Florida on Sunday night, Molleda said.
No substantial storm surge is expected, but flooding was possible along the coast and in low-lying areas. Broward County has been clearing storm drains and flushing water into canals to prepare for more rain in an already saturated South Florida.
The forecast track says Eta will turn northwest Sunday evening and then west early Monday.
Several South Florida cities have set up areas for sandbag distribution to residents while supplies last. Bring your own bags and shovels, officials said.
Fort Lauderdale is offering sand at Mills Pond Park,
at 2201 N.W. 9thAve., from7 a.m. to 5p.m. Lauderhill has the same offer at Veterans Park, at 7600 N.W. 50th St., from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Sunday.
Despite a pattern this year of storms seeing rapid intensification— defined by wind speeds increasing by at least 35 mph within 24 hours — conditions don’t appear favorable for Eta to follow suit.
But, forecasters warn, the exact track and intensity aren’t certain and the outlook could change.
The past five storms in the Atlantic basin— including
Hurricane Eta before it struck Central America early this past week — have undergone rapid intensification.
Eta is likely to be gone from South Florida by late next week, sparing the area from a double-whammy of flooding rains during the next king tides cycle, which begins Nov. 14 and ends Nov. 18.
“I think Eta should be pretty far removed from South Florida next Friday,” said Jonathan Erdman, digital meteorologist for the Weather Channel.
However, Molleda said power outages are possible and drivers on overpasses, especially in larger vehicles, should be aware of the potential for gusty winds.
Florida Power and Light announced Friday that its emergency plan was inplace with about 10,000 personnel standing by to restore any power loss as quickly as possible.
Molleda said Sunday night is the most likely time for tropical-storm-force winds.
Eta weakened into a tropical depression Wednesday evening after making landfall in Nicaragua as a Category 4 major hurricane earlier this past week. The storm fell a part over Central America’s mountainous terrain butnot before bringing life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic winds and flash flooding.
Eta is the 12th hurricane of the year. Only three other full Atlantic seasons on record have seen more than 12 hurricanes.
It is the 28th named storm of the year, tying the 2005 season record for 28 storms of tropical storm strength or greater.
Eta could be the first storm of the season to make landfall in Florida. Louisiana, by contrast, has been hit with five named storms — Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Zeta, and Tropical Storms Cristobal and Marco.
Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring a broad non-tropical area of low pressure that might be developing several hundred miles southwest of the Azores. The hurricane center said it could develop subtropical characteristics later thisweek as it moves east or east-northeast over the Atlantic Ocean, and gave it a 20% chance of formation over the next five days.