RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) – As of the 5 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Andrea is stronger this Thursday morning.
Maximum sustained wind speeds are up to 60 mph, and the center of low pressure is tracking north-northeast at 13 mph toward the northern Florida Gulf Coast. Tropical Storm Andrea’s center of low pressure is expected to make landfall in north Florida this afternoon around 5PM.
Tropical Storm Warnings stretch from Florida to Virginia. If you have Friday beach plans from Virginia’s southeast Coast to the Outer Banks, you will want to prepare for Andrea’s impacts there: heavy rain and gusty winds.
The center of Tropical Storm Andrea will track through Virginia Friday afternoon (likely in Southeast Virginia).
Expect a VERY wet Friday (easily 1″-2″ widespread, with higher totals toward the Coast), along with gusty winds around 35 mph in central VA. I expect higher wind gusts up to 40-50 mph along Virginia’s Bay and Coast.
The tornado threat associated with Tropical Storm Andrea in Virginia on Friday is uncertain. There is the potential for quick tornadoes Friday, mainly closer to the Coast and Bay. However, what I want you to be more focused on the is the flooding potential in flood-prone and low-lying areas from heavy rain. Flooding has always been Virginia’s most significant impact from tropical systems.
You can see and track Tropical Storm Andrea using our Interactive Hurricane Tracker Tool on our website HERE.
Stay With CBS 6, We’ll Keep You Ahead of the Storm!
Get our WTVR CBS 6 News mobile apps to keep you ahead of Tropical Storm Andrea: http://wtvr.com/cbs-6-app-center/
And The American Red Cross Hurricane App is an excellent tool: http://www.redcross.org/mobile-apps/hurricane-app
Meteorologist Carrie Rose
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