Advertisement

Hermine brings heavy rains to parts of Tampa Bay, with more to come

 
Andre Anton stops gathering belongings as rain pours into the damaged home where he and his girlfriend, Linda Dorman, lived with their five children in Tampa.
Andre Anton stops gathering belongings as rain pours into the damaged home where he and his girlfriend, Linda Dorman, lived with their five children in Tampa.
Published Sept. 1, 2016

Intense rainfall overwhelmed sewage systems, downed trees and choked roads with floodwater in Tampa Bay on Wednesday as Tropical Storm Hermine inched toward the Florida coast.

The deluge — nearly a foot of rain fell in parts of Pinellas County — canceled events, prompted evacuations, rescheduled a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game and led superintendents to close schools today.

That's because the storm's path could make things much worse today.

"It's tough to say for sure," said 10Weather WTSP chief meteorologist Jim Van Fleet. "We could see just a few more inches of rain with a westerly track, and if it's an easterly track, we could see 10 more inches — and more than 12 inches in isolated pockets."

The storm is expected to be at hurricane strength by the time it makes landfall late tonight or early Friday, forecasters said. Though Hermine is likely to hit farther up the coast, along the Panhandle or in the Big Bend area, Tampa Bay is projected to get its fair share of inclement weather. With parts of Tampa Bay already dealing with Wednesday's heavy rain, continued downpours today could further flood roads and strain sewer lines.

Storm surge in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties likely will range from 1 to 2 feet, according to the National Weather Service, with higher levels farther north.

Hermine's winds are forecast to reach at least 74 mph, Category 1 hurricane strength, by the time the storm makes landfall.

Tracking Hermine's long path to the gulf

Meteorologists have been tracking the storm since last week, intrigued by its size and disarray. First dubbed Invest 99L, it spent days in the Atlantic Ocean without gathering into an organized cyclone.

On Tuesday, a large swath of the Gulf Coast was put under a hurricane watch, including Pasco, Hernando and northern Pinellas counties. Wednesday morning,the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's Hurricane Hunter plane flew into the system, by then still a tropical depression, to collect data. That afternoon, sitting 415 miles southwest of Tampa, the mass was finally named a tropical storm.

And it drenched Tampa Bay with heaps of rain. Largo saw the most, with 11.5 inches by 8 p.m. Coastal areas, such as Indian Rocks Beach, saw 7 to 9 inches.

Downtown St. Petersburg and South Tampa were spared in comparison, with 4.3 inches and 3.3 inches, respectively.

Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in 51 counties.

"We are ensuring that state, regional and local agencies can work together to meet the needs of our communities," Scott said in a statement.

What happened Wednesday

All that rain strained wastewater systems across the bay area. Manholes spewed sewage in Largo, said Todd Tanberg, Pinellas County's assistant environmental services director.

"Pump stations can't keep up with the flow," he said, calling the situation the worst anyone had ever seen. "It's a mess."

St. Petersburg's sewer system was already operating at capacity Wednesday, officials said, with backup storage nearly full by 5 p.m. City officials planned to release partly treated sewage into Tampa Bay overnight if rains continued.

In Tampa, the sewage system was running smoothly, city officials said.

The airplane tracking site flightaware.com reported 27 delayed flights to or from Tampa International Airport on Wednesday but no cancellations.

In Tampa, a mother of five thought she was being cautious by keeping her kids home from school to ride out the storm.

But around noon, the house on N 13th Street began to shake. Linda Dorman, 37, heard a rumble and crack. Suddenly, she knew what was happening. She shielded her 5-year-old just as a large oak tree came crashing through the roof, bringing most of the small home's ceiling down with it.

"It's all ruined. The house, the furniture, everything is gone," she said.

As rain fell Wednesday night, the family gathered their belongings before finding a hotel.

"We don't have any savings and we're on a fixed income," Dorman said. "I don't know what we're going to do."

In Largo, fire rescue crews evacuated six people from an apartment complex off of Gladys Street. And in St. Petersburg, a couple found their sunroom flooded with an inch of water.

"Thank God for a wet vac and, like, 30 towels," said Julie Hally, 36. She and her husband Mike, 47, have lived in the house on 37th Ave. N for less than a year, but knew that waters could inundate their back yard and home. Hally picked up sandbags, but returned to find she was too late.

"Who knows what it'll be like tomorrow," Hally said.

Widespread street flooding elsewhere in the county clogged traffic. Water overwhelmed the Interstate 275 exit on 54th Avenue S, where cars were at a standstill. Residential areas, such as Snell Isle in St. Petersburg, also dealt with flooding.

No major flooding was reported in Tampa as of Wednesday evening, said Chauncia Willis, emergency coordinator with the city's Office of Emergency Management. Still, some roads were impassable. Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa was flooded but not closed.

"We're in a posture of readiness and preparedness to respond," Willis said.

What forecasters are saying

The storm was strengthening and heading north at 9 mph about 2 a.m. today, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. Van Fleet was waiting to see whether it turns east or west as it approaches the coast.

That turn could mean drastically different rain totals in Tampa Bay, he said. If it heads west, 4 to 8 inches might be expected. A track further east would mean much more.

He warned people not to drive into standing water and to beware of water spouts, tornadoes and cresting rivers.

Friday will still be wet, but it will signal the start of a shift back to the usual September weather pattern, he said.

Looking ahead

In anticipation, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties all canceled classes for today. The University of South Florida closed all system campuses. Many public buildings and government offices planned to close, including in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Except for a few select hearings, Pinellas courts will be closed. Pasco's will remain open.

Several parks and beaches were closed, with Pinellas County officials fearing high water levels. Those include Fort De Soto Park in Tierra Verde and Sand Key Park in Clearwater.

Some major local attractions, including the Florida Aquarium and Glazer Children's Museum, announced they will be closed today as well.

In Hillsborough, the weather service warned of flooding in Lithia's Alafia River and Wimauma's Little Manatee River. Flood warnings have been issued across much of coastal Tampa Bay.

Pasco County officials expected their rivers would be able to handle the bulk of the storm, though the Anclote River is expected to rise to around 21 feet by Friday, putting it at minor flood stage.

Pasco flooding could get worse, county emergency services director Kevin Guthrie said, if the expected surge arrives this afternoon, when the coastline is experiencing an abnormally high tide.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco stressed preparedness.

"Pray and hope for the best, but expect and be prepared for the worst," Nocco said.

Times staff writers Kathryn Varn, Josh Solomon, Charlie Frago, Anastasia Dawson and Samantha Putterman contributed to this report. Contact Claire McNeill at cmcneill@tampabay.com.