- April 26, 2024
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Though Volusia County is included in the state of emergency issued by Gov. Rick Scott, Tropical Storm Emily is not anticipated to hit the area hard.
“We don’t know that the storm is going to have an impact on Volusia County at this point,” said Jim Judge, Volusia County emergency management director.
Judge said they are only expecting about a half inch of rain coupled with mild wind conditions in Volusia, but people should stay tuned in case that changes.
Tropical Storm Emily formed early Monday morning in the Gulf of Mexico, making landfall in the Tampa area at around 10:45 a.m. with estimated maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. As of 2 p.m., the National Hurricane Center reported Emily was heading east at 10 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.
The NHC is projecting 5-10 mph sustained winds in Volusia County. If winds were to reach about 40 mph, bridges could be closed.
Even if at this point, the storm isn’t anticipated to impact Volusia County significantly, Judge said there’s always a potential that this may change in the coming hours.
“At four o’clock this morning, this storm wasn’t anything,” Judge said. “At six o’clock this morning, it was a tropical depression. At eight o’clock, it was a tropical storm. So things can change very rapidly.”
Judge said this is a reminder that it is hurricane season and people should make sure they have family plans, provisions and are up to date with the city’s emergency procedures so they are better prepared for storms in the future.
Update: 6:23 p.m.
Emily has weakened to a tropical depression. The threat of heavy rain will continue on through Tuesday.
