Flood Watch Issued for Entire Tampa Bay Area

The National Weather Service in Ruskin has issued a flood watch for the entire Tampa Bay area.

A watch means that conditions are ripe for flood formation, but it isn’t necessarily mean they will occur. The watch is in effect until noon Wednesday as heavy storms move through the Tampa Bay area.

The watch area includes Pasco, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas and Sarasota counties. It impacts both coastal and inland areas, as well.

Forecasters say that 1 to 2 inches of rain fell throughout the region as of Tuesday morning and an additional 2 to 4 inches is likely. Localized amounts could add up to 6 inches in some areas by Wednesday.

See Also:

• Strong Storms Likely Through Wednesday

Residents who live in flood prone areas or along rivers and streams are urged to monitor water levels and to be prepared to move to higher ground should flooding occur.

Meteorologist Tyler Fleming explained that there’s a cold front moving through the area, along with a low pressure system from the Gulf of Mexico.

“(There’s) a lot of deep moisture that’s leading to a lot of heavy rain,” Fleming said.

Storms are expected to move out of the area by Wednesday afternoon with Thanksgiving Day weather predicted to be sunny with a high in the 60s.

How is your neighborhood holding up? Let us know by commenting below!