TAMPA, Fla. — Heavy rains from Tropical Storm Colin hit north Florida and southern Georgia on Monday, knocking out power in some areas and flooding roads on the Gulf Coast.
Residents filled sandbags, schools closed early and graduation ceremonies were postponed as Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency.
The National Hurricane Center said Colin marked the earliest that a third named storm has ever formed in the Atlantic basin.
Colin’s maximum sustained winds Monday were near 50 mph with some slow strengthening possible during the next two days. While rains pelted the region, the storm was centered about 190 miles west-northwest of Tampa and was moving north-northeast at 23 mph.
Early Monday, Ronald P. Milligan, 74, stopped by a park in St. Petersburg where authorities planned to distribute sandbags because the ditch in front of his home had filled during the previous evening’s rain.
“If last night was a ‘no storm’ — and the water was almost up to the hump in my yard — I’m worried,” Milligan said, motioning to about knee level.
Sandbags were distributed throughout the region.
The latest forecast for Colin called for the center to make landfall near the Big Bend area of Florida sometime Monday evening, and move across the Florida peninsula into Georgia and then move along or just off the South Carolina coast before heading out to sea.
Schools in at least one Florida Gulf Coast county were dismissed early Monday, and two high school graduations in the Tampa Bay area were postponed.
Farther north at Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge roads were flooded and businesses sending home people early, said Andrew Gude, manager of the refuge for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
About 7,600 people were without power in the Tampa Bay area. Duke Energy said Monday afternoon it had 3,600 customers without electricity, while Tampa Electric Company said on its website that 4,022 people were experiencing outages. In Jacksonville on Florida’s Atlantic coast, about 2,300 customers were without power as heavy rains hit the area late Monday, according to the Jacksonville Energy Authority.
Colin is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches, and forecasters said up to 8 inches are possible across north Florida, southeastern Georgia and coastal areas of the Carolinas through Tuesday.
Not everyone was hunkering down. About 50 people were in the water with surfboards off Treasure Island to take advantage of the rare 2 to 3 foot swells breaking in the Gulf’s warm waters.
Scott postponed a meeting with presidential nominee Donald Trump scheduled Monday in New York to remain in the state capital to monitor the weather.
“I want everyone to be safe. I’ve talked to utilities and sheriff’s departments, but residents have to do their part,” Scott said.
Colin was expected to pass the Georgia coast before dawn Tuesday, said Dennis Jones, director of the Chatham County Emergency Management Agency.
