Manatee, Sarasota under tropical storm warning as Eta enters Gulf of Mexico

Manatee and Sarasota counteis were placed under a tropical storm warning, as Tropical Storm Eta entered the Gulf of Mexico, forecasters said early Monday.

As of 4 a.m. EST Monday, the National Hurricane Center placed the storm about 45 miles north-northwest of Key West and 65 miles south of Naples, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.

About 6 a.m., The Sunshine Skyway Bridge between Manatee and Pinellas counties was closed because of high winds associated with Eta, the Florida Highway Patrol said early Monday.

Motorists should seek alternate north-south travel routes, such as U.S. 41 and Interstate 75, FHP said in a news release.

Just before 6 a.m., winds at the Skyway Bridge were blowing at about 31 mpg, with gusts of up to 38 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters predict that Tropical Storm Eta will upgrade to a Category 1 hurricane on Monday as it skirts the Gulf Coast. In addition to lashing the state with varying degrees of heavy winds and rainfall, current models show that the storm could come back for a direct hit on the west coast of Florida later this week.

Tropical storm-level impacts, including damaging winds and “major flooding rain,” are also expected in other areas of South Florida. Both the east and west coasts of South Florida remain under a tropical storm warning.

Emergency shelters in South Florida counties and the Bahamas opened over the weekend in preparation for Eta’s arrival.

Models still predict that the storm will make a hard left turn across the Keys and churn westward into the Gulf of Mexico before attaining hurricane status.

Then, the models predict a dip to the southwest — back toward Cuba — before Eta makes a sharp turn in the Gulf that would set the storm on a north-northeasterly path toward Florida’s west coast later this week.

Manatee County under tropical storm warning

In Manatee County, officials said the Sunshine Skyway Bridge remained open to traffic, but high-profile vehicles would not be allowed to make the crossing between Manatee and Pinellas counties because of high winds.

Coastal and inland Manatee and Sarasota counties remain under a tropical storm warning, according to the National Weather Service. A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm-level winds of 39 to 73 mph are possible within the area in the next 36 hours.

As of Sunday evening, NWS forecasters predict peak winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 55 mph in Southwest Florida.

Manatee County Emergency Operations Center was partially activated on Sunday as local officials monitored Eta’s progression. As of Sunday evening, there were no plans to open public emergency shelters or distribute sandbags, according to Manatee County government.

However, the city of Holmes Beach and the town of Longboat Key will make sandbags available to their residents this week, the county shared in a social media post.

County officials advised residents to keep a close watch on weather reports, and local forecasters recommended that homeowners secure loose items outdoors in preparation for the arrival of strong winds. Forecasters also advised residents to create or review emergency plans and check emergency supply kits.

“Regardless of what Eta does in the 5-7 day time frame, expect for at least several days of breezy/windy conditions, heavy rainfall which may lead to localized flooding, poor beach conditions through much of the week, and perhaps a low-end tropical tornado risk, especially for south central and Southwest Florida,” NWS Tampa Bay forecasters wrote in a Sunday morning update.

Residents can also sign up for emergency alerts from the National Weather Service and Manatee County at https://www.mymanatee.org/departments/public_safety/emergency_management/alertmanatee.

A direct impact from Tropical Storm Eta also remains a possibility for Southwest Florida at the end of this week.

The storm is currently predicted to make a sharp turn in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday night and head northeast toward the Tampa Bay area.

The National Hurricane Center predicts that Eta will downgrade from a hurricane to a tropical storm on Wednesday afternoon as it travels up the west coast of Florida.

On Sunday night, NWS Tampa Bay said that “uncertainty remains” as to how closely Eta will approach Florida’s west coast and how intense it will be.

Bradenton and Anna Maria Island will remain under tropical storm warning until further notice, according to NWS. Strong breezes and increased rain chances are predicted to begin the week in Manatee County as Tropical Storm Eta moves to the south.

This story was originally published November 8, 2020 at 1:59 PM.