Tropical storm conditions in Manatee County will persist overnight, forecasters say

Eta made landfall as a tropical storm near Cedar Key at 4:20 a.m. and will continue to bring hazardous weather, including the potential for tornadoes, storm surge, gusty winds, and flooding to Florida.

As of just before 5 a.m., tropical storm and storm surge warnings remained in effect from the middle of Longboat Key to the Suwanee River. That area includes Manatee County and the rest of Tampa Bay, although forecasters did say winds had dropped below tropical storm strength to about 10 to 20 mphs, with gusts of about 25 mph.

As of 4 a.m., the storm was located about 5 miles east of Cedar, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 50 mph. It was moving toweard the northeast at 10 mph.

Forecast for Manatee County

The National Weather Service said there is an 80% chance of showers and thunderstorms in Bradenton on Thursday, with winds of 13 to 18 mph and gusts of up to 22 mph. Winds will lessen to about 8 mph in the evening.

The Miami Herald contributed to this report.

This story was originally published November 11, 2020 at 5:11 AM.