Tropical storm downgraded after Florida landfall

Rough seas could be in store for East Coast

Tropical Storm Emily was downgraded to a tropical depression Monday afternoon after slamming into the west coast of Florida in the morning.

The storm made landfall Monday on Anna Maria Island just west of Bradenton, Fla., and churned across the state Monday evening, the National Hurricane Center said.

Emily formed early Monday just west of Tampa and will move out to sea Tuesday, the hurricane center said. Emily could regain strength once it leaves the east coast of Florida, but the storm poses no direct threat to land.

The storm could bring rough seas and dangerous rip currents to much of the East Coast this week, AccuWeather said.

All tropical storm warnings had been canceled as of late Monday.

Gov. Rick Scott had declared a state of emergency in 31 Florida counties.

The Coast Guard rescued two fishermen Monday during the storm, WTSP-TV reported. They were found clinging to a channel marker light in Tampa Bay.

Emily was likely to produce additional rainfall of 1 to 2 inches across southeast Florida late Monday and early Tuesday, and isolated storm totals up to 8 inches were possible, the hurricane center said.

On Treasure Island, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico, a normally packed beach parking lot was almost empty of tourists Monday. A few people bodysurfed small waves in an area that doesn’t normally get waves. Some took selfies amid a mix of clouds and patches of blue sky.

Kevin Baker, 53, a retiree who takes his walks daily at Treasure Island, said he decided to venture out “to watch the clouds to go by.”