Storm shifts west; hurricane watch for Tampa Bay

Update 7:30 p.m.

With a hurricane watch in effect for the entire Tampa Bay area, Pinellas County Emergency Management officials said it's still too early to make decisions on evacuations. An announcement regarding evacuations will likely be made Monday after the 11 a.m. advisory. At this point, shelters are not open.

In the meantime, now is the time to get your vehicle gassed up, get cash, secure papers and valuables, refill your medications, fill containers with water, secure yard equipment and furniture, shutter windows, help neighbors with their preparations.

Officials encourage residents to make final preparations to secure their homes so they can leave as soon as an evacuation order is issued. If you are pre-registered for transportation to a public shelter, be sure you are ready in case an evacuation order is enacted. Pet owners should have a plan to evacuate their pets or leave them with a friend or family member that lives in a non-evacuation area. Pet owners can pre-register for a pet shelter by calling (727) 582-2150.

The Citizens Information Center phone line, (727) 464-4333, will be open until midnight Sunday, and will reopen at 8 a.m. Monday. Citizens are encouraged to check the Pinellas County website  at www.pinellascounty.org/emergency or tune in to PCC-TV for storm-related programming on Bright House Ch. 622, Knology Ch. 18 or Verizon Ch. 44.

Update 5 p.m.

The west coast of Florida from the Keys to Tarpon Springs is under a hurricane watch this evening, the National Hurricane Center announced Sunday afternoon. Forecasters have moved Fay's track west to graze the Tampa Bay area beginning about 2 p.m. Tuesday. Earlier they had predicted landfall in southwest Florida near Port Charlotte.

Meteorologists said Fay is slowly strengthening and could reach hurricane strength before hitting Cuba overnight and the Keys late Monday. The storm has winds up to 50 mph that extend out more than 100 miles. A watch means that the area could experience hurricane conditions within 36 hours.

Officials with Pinellas County Emergency Operations will hold a press conference at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the county's readiness plan. No evacuations have been recommended or made mandatory at this time. The briefing will be aired live on Brighthouse Ch. 622, Knology Ch. 18 and Verizon Ch. 44. It can also be viewed via live, streaming video at www.pinellascounty.org.

Update 2 p.m.

Forecasters at the National Weather service announced that for the past several hours, Fay has been turning toward the north-northwest at about 17 miles per hour. The storm could slow later this evening, but is still expected to reach hurricane strength by the time it reaches the Florida coast.

Update: 11 a.m.

The west coast of Florida could see Tropical Storm Fay become Hurricane Fay as early as 8 a.m. Tuesday, forecasters at the National Weather Service announced Sunday.

At 11 a.m., the National Hurricane Center extended its hurricane watch northward to Anna Maria Island.

Though still on a course for Florida, forecasters have revised their initial route. Fay is expected to cross western Cuba and continue its northwestern course. Sometime Monday however, forecasters predict Fay to take northern turn, putting it on a course for central Florida just east of Tampa Bay.

Update: 8 a.m.

Tropical Storm Fay continues on its path toward Florida today and could reach hurricane strength as it passes over Cuba.

At 8 a.m., Fay was about 100 miles from the coast of Cuba, with winds up to 50 miles per hour. Forecasters predict that the storm will continue its northwesterly course throughout the day, crossing central Cuba overnight and will be in the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico or the Florida Straits by Monday.

While Fay is expected to strengthen today, it could lose some of its current momentum as it crosses Cuba. The National Weather Service reports that Fay is expected to reach near hurricane strength as it approaches the Florida Keys.

Comments

[Fred]

Eeeeeek!

[rocky]

Its is spelled "its" not "it's."
Shame on you. Have all the proofreaders gone home?

[John]

Get ready for gas prices to be jacked up.

[Herbert Cook]

Rocky you need to go back to school. it's is correct.

[MaeEast]

It's is a contraction for it is.
Example: "It's hot". This example is a contraction of "It is hot."
Its is a possessive pronoun.
Example: ". . .it could lose some of its current momentum as it crosses Cuba." This example indicates the current momentum belongs to Fay.
The correct spelling depends on the usage.
Source: "Eats, Shoots & Leaves"

[Lenore]

Looking at the photo. i think it's wrong that people are allowed to purchase that much gas. In emergencies they should fill their tank and move on. How would you feel if you were behind him in line and he got the last drop of gas and all you wanted was a simple fill up?

[Carl]

Did we just witness a "storm" of protest over usage?

[Who really Cares?]

to beat a dead horse over nothing, "its" should be a possesive so an apostrophe belongs there....it's course...i.e. fays

[Linda, Tampa]

Well, let's beat the dead horse anyway, because it's important to know how to spell the word "its" in its possessive form if it's going to be used that way. MaeEast was correct, and "Who really Cares" needs to care a leeeettle bit more, but nice try!

I just caught a casual blip on TV Weather that called the track more northwest tracking eastward south of Tampa, which may leave Tampa in the clear once again, as the worst hit would be EAST. But it's too early to tell its path yet. (Sorry, I just couldn't help myself) I'm outta hear now....I mean here, I'm outta HERE! haha

[You Should Care]

Ummm...Who Really Cares? You should...since you're wrong. "Its", without the apostrophe, IS the possessive form of "it".

[davids comment]

Its really not all that important as long as the sentanse is unnerstud. Kinda a grey area, and nobody really cares about gray stuff.

[it doesnt pay bills]

caring about little sht like how it is spelled is the problem with this world.... there are bigger issues out there such as marijuana. God created it, what gives us the right to ban it from planet earth?

[SWLiP]

Ah, I see that my fellow TB area natives are still struggling with things like basic grammar and the relative merits of drug laws.

Meanwhile, you should keep in mind that a storm on this particular kind of track is particularly dangerous. Remember that Hurricane Charly was supposed to have taken a similar track, right up the mouth of Tampa Bay. But it just took a small deviation to the East to send it punching into Punta Gorda.

I'm down here in Miami, checking for updates every hour. I recommend that you do the same, before it's too late.

[Chuck]

i'll take my chances, nothing more then a large severe thunderstorm when it passes over here if it does..charles was a cat 3 before it even hit cuba, this is barely a tropical storm.

[Tim]

I just love it when a hurricane comment section turns into "to ' or not" and someone's pissed because pot is still illegal ... Only in Florida...

[Cape Cod Girl]

"Who really cares" you are sooooo wrong!!! They teach this in 4th grade!!

[English]

I care, about the storm first but also about grammar. I too remember Charlie, it wasn't supposed to come near our area but it did and our house was badly hit. We stayed home through the most frightening night of our lives because nobody thought it was coming our way until it was too late. We had a bridge to cross to get to the mainland and it was closed by the time we were informed it could hit.

After that order will always take any storm watch seriously and be prepared.

Its is a possessive pronoun as stated above , (example) Storm Fay will run its course. An apostrophe always means it is. One would never say Storm Fay will run it is course if they want to be correct. I guess there are some who don't care if they are understood or not.

As far as the "pot" post goes, for patients in severe pain if it's the only thing that helps them, I think it should be legal in prescribed pill form and "not only in Florida" is this believed.

[bmay1]

i think its great that school is still on. even the school board is tired of seeing their kids at home. they're gonna send'em out in the wind and the rain for what will amount to a b.s. day of doing a whole lot of nothing and getting used to where they are going and such.

[rocky]

The Times apparently agreed with my post from early this morning since they corrected the copy.
To English: thanks for spelling it out the simple test that eliminates any question. This too frequent grammatical mishap is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.
Hope this debate continues to distract west-coasters from the constant media reporting about the storm.
I wish you all well. I'm not there anymore, but family and friends are. I'll be thinking of you. Stay safe.

[leatherneck]

daad blaame it. stop it weth the gramer and pey attentein to the sturme.

[JTeacher]

rocky said >>Its is spelled "its" not "it's."
Shame on you. Have all the proofreaders gone home?

Posted by: rocky | August 17, 2008 at 08:43 AM <<

There has been no change, but that was a great attempt to cover yourself, Rocky.

Glad we are all avoiding the media frenzy about the storm while remaining vigilant.

[Will Ferrell]

Tampa needs more Cowbell in it's time of need.

[Karen K.]

What hype. When I googled "Fay", the link to this said "Hurricane Fay Hits Tampa." First, it's not even a @#$% hurricane, and second, it could end up hitting Alabama or the Florida's East coast. That's why there's a CONE, because the path of the storm is not certain.

[Karen K.]

What hype. When I googled "Fay", the link to this said "Hurricane Fay Hits Tampa." First, it's not even a @#$% hurricane, and second, it could end up hitting Alabama or the Florida's East coast. That's why there's a CONE, because the path of the storm is not certain.

[Karen K.]

What hype. When I googled "Fay", the link to this said "Hurricane Fay Hits Tampa." First, it's not even a @#$% hurricane, and second, it could end up hitting Alabama or the Florida's East coast. That's why there's a CONE, because the path of the storm is not certain.