Tropical Storm Emily formed in the Gulf of Mexico early Monday morning and made landfall near Anna Maria Island around 10:45 a.m.
The storm continues to move inland across Florida.
Forecasters say Emily should dump between 2 to 4 inches of rain through Monday night between the Tampa Bay area and Naples, with isolated amounts up to 8 inches possible. Lesser amounts were predicted elsewhere in the region. The center says the storm could spin off a brief tornado or even isolated waterspouts over coastal waters. A Tornado Warning was issued for parts of Manatee County for a short period of time.
PHOTOS | Flooding & Damage from Tropical Storm Emily
A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for the west coast of Florida from the Anclote River southward to Englewood.
INTERACTIVE RADAR | Track Tropical Storm Emily
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STATE OF EMERGENCY
Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in 31 counties in Florida in response to Tropical Storm Emily. A state of emergency gives the state the flexibility to work with local governments to ensure they have all the resources they may need. Tropical storm warnings are currently in effect for Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and Lee Counties. At this time, there are no evacuation orders in effect. The Florida National Guard stands ready to assist with any storm related impacts.
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Rain from Tropical Storm Emily is causing localized flooding and slowed the Monday morning commute.
Meteorologist Greg Dee says he expects things to improve some by the afternoon and evening along the coast as the heaviest rain shifts inland through the day.
FLOOD WATCHES
Flood Watches have been issued in Hillsborough County, Sarasota County, Lee County, Highlands County, Hardee County, DeSoto County and Pinellas County through 8 p.m. on Monday.
EMILY | Center of tropical storm #Emily 43 miles SW of #Tampa & 30 miles W of Bradenton. #flwx #GMTB #Florida pic.twitter.com/GV8jBXQhbn
— Greg Dee (@GregDeeWeather) July 31, 2017
Tropical Storm #Emily is perched off the Pinellas coast. If you venture in the water today, beware of risk of rip currents. pic.twitter.com/vYUg5lkBpH
— @clearwaterfire (@clearwaterfire) July 31, 2017
