More than four inches of rain has already fallen in parts of Southwest Florida since Friday, and several more hours of heavy rain are likely as Tropical Storm Sally slowly pulls away Sunday.
A Flood Watch continues for areas of west-central and southwest Florida through Sunday evening. The watch includes Levy County along the Nature Coast and stretches to Monroe County south of Naples. The cities of Tampa, Lakeland, Sarasota, and Fort Myers are under the watch.
As of 9 am Sunday, radar derived three-day rainfall estimates ranged from over four inches near Naples and Marco Island, to between two and three inches farther north near Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Sarasota.
As of 11 am Sunday, the center of Tropical Storm Sally was located 135 miles west of St. Petersburg and moving west-northwest at 12 mph . Maximum sustained winds were noted by hurricane hunters to be at 60 mph, with a minimum central pressure of 998mb.
Sally is expected to produce additional rainfall of 1 to 3 inches across portions of southwestern Florida, with isolated amounts as high as 6 inches through Monday. The vast majority of Sally's precipitation field is located to the east and south of the center of low pressure, which will continue to deliver heavy rainfall to western and central parts of the Florida Peninsula.
Farther north and west, Sally's slow forward speed and proximity offshore could produce heavy rainfall across the portions of the Florida Panhandle as well, where a Flash Flood Watch is also in effect. The National Weather Service office in Mobile says rainfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches are possible near Pensacola through Wednesday.
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