Florida and Bermuda expect storms and hurricanes

A WET and slow-moving tropical storm Henri pushed heavy rain into Florida’s Gulf Coast yesterday, threatening to flood rivers and streams already full after one of the wettest summers in recent years.

In Bermuda, meanwhile, businesses boarded up, and residents rushed to prepare as Hurricane Fabian picked up speed on its path toward the island. The storm, expected to pass near or over the island, could be one of Bermuda’s worst in years, forecasters said.

At 11am local time, Henri had maximum sustained winds near 45 mph.

But for Florida, the storm was likely to be more of a problem as a rainmaker, with forecasters predicting up to a foot of rain in some areas.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for Florida’s west coast from Englewood south of Sarasota north to the Aucilla River in the Panhandle, about 20 miles southeast of Tallahassee.

“Given the amount of rain that has fallen in the Tampa Bay area, particularly north of Tampa where the storm is going to hit, we’re concerned,” Gov Jeb Bush said Friday. “The biggest concern would be the potential for major rainfall on top of a very saturated area.”

In Bermuda, forecasters urged residents to protect ‘life and property’ as powerful Fabian, a Category 3 hurricane, headed toward the island chain Friday morning. Several cruise ships that were docked there left early, and others were changing routes to avoid the storm. All Friday flights into Bermuda were cancelled.

At 11am, Fabian was about 110 miles south-southwest of Bermuda and was moving north at 17mph with sustained winds of about 120mph, according to the National Hurricane Centre, Miami.