TAMPA, Fla., June 7 (Reuters) – Tropical Storm Colin blasted torrential rain and winds across the U.S. Southeast on Tuesday, triggering a mix of floods, hazardous surf and other severe weather conditions in a broad swath between Florida and North Carolina as it moved out to sea.
The storm, located 45 miles (75 km) south of coastal North Carolina at 8:00 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), could strengthen further but was expected to dissipate over the Atlantic Ocean over the next day, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
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As it moved northeast at 33 miles per hour (54 kilometers per hour), tropical storm warnings were lifted for much of the U.S. Southeast, except for northern North Carolina.
With winds gusting 50 miles an hour, Colin’s severe weather mostly affected North Carolina’s Outer Banks early on Tuesday. Strong rip currents were the main threat to the state’s coastal areas, the National Weather Service in North Carolina said.
The storm made landfall in northwest Florida early on Tuesday, impacting Georgia and South Carolina on its path to the Atlantic. In advance of its arrival, Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in 34 of the state’s 67 counties.
On Tuesday, some of the storm’s greatest impact was seen further south along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Flooding remained a concern in the Tampa Bay region, where some communities were soaked with more than 10 inches of rain.
“The heaviest rainfall from Colin was definitely centered over the Tampa Bay area,” said Rick Davis, a meteorologist with National Weather Service’s local office, noting that much of the region had received six to eight inches.
The city of Tampa continued to supply sandbags to residents on Tuesday, with additional rainfall expected later in the week. Some flooded out roads remained closed throughout the region.
The storm also threatened crops in Florida, the country’s biggest citrus producer, which sent U.S. orange juice futures on Monday to their highest in more than two years.
Colin is part of a brisk start to the Atlantic hurricane season that runs through Nov. 30. Over the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend, the Carolinas were lashed by heavy rain and winds from Tropical Storm Bonnie.
