Tropical Storm Eta Dumps Blustery Rain on Florida West Coast

Tropical Storm Eta Dumps Blustery Rain on Florida West Coast
Boats sit on the beach in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Eta, in Gulfport, Fla., on Nov. 12, 2020. Lynne Sladky/AP Photo
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Tropical Storm Eta dumped torrents of blustery rain on Florida’s west coast as it moved over Florida after making landfall north of the heavily populated Tampa Bay area Thursday morning.

The storm slogged ashore near Cedar Key, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph). The National Hurricane Center in Miami predicted Eta would then move northeast across Florida as it loses strength. Eta briefly gained hurricane strength Wednesday morning, but forecasters said it later weakened to tropical storm status.