Eta stalls in Gulf after unloading feet of rain in Florida
By
Mark Puleo, AccuWeather staff writer
Updated Nov 11, 2020 10:44 AM EDT
Eta is the first tropical storm to make landfall in Florida during the month of November in 22 years. The storm brought torrential rain and flooding to the southern regions of the state.
After making a deadly stop in Central America, Eta's zig-zagging journey from Nicaragua through Cuba continued to the coast of southern Florida late Saturday, delivering the state's first tropical hit of the season. The storm then proceeded to drench south Florida Sunday into Monday before finally meandering away from the coast.
Tropical Storm Eta gained momentum on Tuesday as it lingered in the Gulf, alarming storm-weary Floridians of the possibility that the persistent storm could come back for round two.
After Eta drifted away, Southern Florida residents were just beginning to clear debris from flooded streets on Tuesday, while major coronavirus testing sites still remained closed.
Florida officials reported one of the major COVID-19 testing sites in the state, The Hard Rock Stadium, suffered major damage due to the extensive rain unleashed by Eta. The stadium testing site in Miami was engulfed by 16 inches of rain, Samantha Bequer, spokeswoman for the Florida division of emergency management, said.
This pesky storm has served a reminder that the calendar flip to November doesn't necessarily mean that hurricane season is over.
The reach of Eta's outer bands began lashing Miami on Saturday night with whipping winds shortly after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for eight counties in southern Florida.
Across Tampa Bay, those wind gusts gusted between 30 to 40 mph throughout Monday. Heavy winds also forced the closure of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and Sarasota County schools on Monday, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The center of Eta emerged over the Florida Straits by Sunday afternoon, just hours after making landfall on the southern side of Cuba as a strong tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. This was Eta's second landfall, the first occurring last week when it slammed into Nicaragua as a powerful Category 4 hurricane. A third landfall occurred Sunday night at 11 p.m. EST on Lower Matecumbe Key, Florida, as a tropical storm.
Not only did the state of Florida see its first tropical landfall this season, but also saw the first landfall of a tropical system in Florida during November in 22 years.
Tropical Storm Eta swirling over the eastern Gulf of Mexico early Monday afternoon. (NOAA/GOES-East)
As of Monday morning, over a foot of rain had accumulated in numerous areas throughout the southern portion of the Sunshine State, most heavily in Miramar, where over 15 inches had gathered in rain gauges.
Hollywood, Florida, measured over 14 inches of rain in just 48 hours, significantly higher than the 3.75 inches of rain that typically falls in the city throughout the entire month of November.
A hurricane warning went into effect for the Florida Keys on Sunday morning and a hurricane watch went into effect for the Florida coast from Deerfield Beach to Bonita Beach. These watches and warnings have since been discontinued as Eta moved into the Gulf of Mexico.
However, additional watches and warnings have since been reissued in portions of the Sunshine State, as the chance for another landfall in Florida has increased.
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As of 4 a.m. EST Wednesday, the storm was located about 230 miles south-southwest of Tampa, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. The storm was moving northward at 12 mph.
COVID-19 was also on the mind of Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Morales, who spoke with AccuWeather National Reporter Emmy Victor.
"COVID is layering over your normal hurricane plans," he told Victor.
AccuWeather National Reporter Jonathan Petramala spoke with a handful of residents of Doral, Florida, who were preparing for the storm. With masks on, they took to filling sandbags to keep any oncoming storm surge at bay. One resident told Petramala that they were more concerned about the water, not the winds, that Eta could bring.
The streets of Miami were flooded on Monday, Nov. 9, 2020, after Tropical Storm Eta dumped heavy rains over southern Florida over the weekend. (AccuWeather / Jonathan Petramala)
(AccuWeather / Jonathan Petramala)
"It's the water, it's not the wind. We're used to bad winds," Doral resident Menelao Mora told Petramala. "They're talking about 8 to 10 inches, so it should be pretty bad."
Doral, Florida, resident Menelao Mora filled up sandbags as he prepared for flooding downpours from Eta. (AccuWeather)
"Most of the time, like the heavy rains and so forth will do the most damage on the coastal areas, on the east coast, especially the way it's going to come in, the way it's curving coming in," Miami-Dade Director of Emergency Management Frank Rollason told Victor. "Those bands will come right up against the beach."
Eta may eventually make a fourth landfall, but where it is headed next hinges largely on how it interacts with a weather system brushing the Gulf Coast.
"Late in the week, a non-tropical storm moving through the eastern United States could draw Eta northward across the southeastern U.S.," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Danny Pydynowski said.
However, if Eta misses this connection, it could meander around the Gulf of Mexico. People all along the Gulf Coast should closely monitor the track of Eta and plan accordingly.
AccuWeather meteorologists are also monitoring newly formed Subtropical Storm Theta, which set a new record for the Atlantic basin with 29 named storms this season, as well as a tropical wave moving into the central Caribbean Sea.
Additional reporting by Brian Lada, Adriana Navarro, Bill Wadell, Emmy Victor and Jonathan Petramala.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Hurricane
Eta stalls in Gulf after unloading feet of rain in Florida
By Mark Puleo, AccuWeather staff writer
Updated Nov 11, 2020 10:44 AM EDT
Eta is the first tropical storm to make landfall in Florida during the month of November in 22 years. The storm brought torrential rain and flooding to the southern regions of the state.
After making a deadly stop in Central America, Eta's zig-zagging journey from Nicaragua through Cuba continued to the coast of southern Florida late Saturday, delivering the state's first tropical hit of the season. The storm then proceeded to drench south Florida Sunday into Monday before finally meandering away from the coast.
Tropical Storm Eta gained momentum on Tuesday as it lingered in the Gulf, alarming storm-weary Floridians of the possibility that the persistent storm could come back for round two.
After Eta drifted away, Southern Florida residents were just beginning to clear debris from flooded streets on Tuesday, while major coronavirus testing sites still remained closed.
Florida officials reported one of the major COVID-19 testing sites in the state, The Hard Rock Stadium, suffered major damage due to the extensive rain unleashed by Eta. The stadium testing site in Miami was engulfed by 16 inches of rain, Samantha Bequer, spokeswoman for the Florida division of emergency management, said.
This pesky storm has served a reminder that the calendar flip to November doesn't necessarily mean that hurricane season is over.
The reach of Eta's outer bands began lashing Miami on Saturday night with whipping winds shortly after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for eight counties in southern Florida.
Across Tampa Bay, those wind gusts gusted between 30 to 40 mph throughout Monday. Heavy winds also forced the closure of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and Sarasota County schools on Monday, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The center of Eta emerged over the Florida Straits by Sunday afternoon, just hours after making landfall on the southern side of Cuba as a strong tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. This was Eta's second landfall, the first occurring last week when it slammed into Nicaragua as a powerful Category 4 hurricane. A third landfall occurred Sunday night at 11 p.m. EST on Lower Matecumbe Key, Florida, as a tropical storm.
Not only did the state of Florida see its first tropical landfall this season, but also saw the first landfall of a tropical system in Florida during November in 22 years.
Tropical Storm Eta swirling over the eastern Gulf of Mexico early Monday afternoon. (NOAA/GOES-East)
As of Monday morning, over a foot of rain had accumulated in numerous areas throughout the southern portion of the Sunshine State, most heavily in Miramar, where over 15 inches had gathered in rain gauges.
Hollywood, Florida, measured over 14 inches of rain in just 48 hours, significantly higher than the 3.75 inches of rain that typically falls in the city throughout the entire month of November.
A hurricane warning went into effect for the Florida Keys on Sunday morning and a hurricane watch went into effect for the Florida coast from Deerfield Beach to Bonita Beach. These watches and warnings have since been discontinued as Eta moved into the Gulf of Mexico.
However, additional watches and warnings have since been reissued in portions of the Sunshine State, as the chance for another landfall in Florida has increased.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
As of 4 a.m. EST Wednesday, the storm was located about 230 miles south-southwest of Tampa, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. The storm was moving northward at 12 mph.
COVID-19 was also on the mind of Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Morales, who spoke with AccuWeather National Reporter Emmy Victor.
"COVID is layering over your normal hurricane plans," he told Victor.
AccuWeather National Reporter Jonathan Petramala spoke with a handful of residents of Doral, Florida, who were preparing for the storm. With masks on, they took to filling sandbags to keep any oncoming storm surge at bay. One resident told Petramala that they were more concerned about the water, not the winds, that Eta could bring.
The streets of Miami were flooded on Monday, Nov. 9, 2020, after Tropical Storm Eta dumped heavy rains over southern Florida over the weekend. (AccuWeather / Jonathan Petramala)
"It's the water, it's not the wind. We're used to bad winds," Doral resident Menelao Mora told Petramala. "They're talking about 8 to 10 inches, so it should be pretty bad."
Doral, Florida, resident Menelao Mora filled up sandbags as he prepared for flooding downpours from Eta. (AccuWeather)
"Most of the time, like the heavy rains and so forth will do the most damage on the coastal areas, on the east coast, especially the way it's going to come in, the way it's curving coming in," Miami-Dade Director of Emergency Management Frank Rollason told Victor. "Those bands will come right up against the beach."
Related:
Eta may eventually make a fourth landfall, but where it is headed next hinges largely on how it interacts with a weather system brushing the Gulf Coast.
"Late in the week, a non-tropical storm moving through the eastern United States could draw Eta northward across the southeastern U.S.," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Danny Pydynowski said.
However, if Eta misses this connection, it could meander around the Gulf of Mexico. People all along the Gulf Coast should closely monitor the track of Eta and plan accordingly.
AccuWeather meteorologists are also monitoring newly formed Subtropical Storm Theta, which set a new record for the Atlantic basin with 29 named storms this season, as well as a tropical wave moving into the central Caribbean Sea.
Additional reporting by Brian Lada, Adriana Navarro, Bill Wadell, Emmy Victor and Jonathan Petramala.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo