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Emergency management teams around the state are meeting with local leaders in anticipation of a possible encounter with Tropical Storm Fay.
Gov. Charlie Crist announced that he was declaring a state of emergency for Florida on Saturday. Since then, emergency management teams around the Bay area have started meeting to discuss the likelihood that Fay will impact the state and to review response plans should that happen.
In the meantime, officials are urging residents to prepare their hurricane kits, including important papers, and to get their homes and yards ready. They are also asking residents to identify evacuation zones and, if necessary, any escape routes and locations.
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The city of St. Petersburg is preparing for the possibility of a deluge. St. Petersburg city workers spent Saturday pumping water out of three storm drainage ponds to allow for more rain. Mayor Rick Baker said they are also clearing debris in the area. He said the city has fuel tanks for generators and back-up fuel for emergency vehicles.
The city is getting ready to open its emergency operations center.
Bay area school officials said they have not changed their start times for the first day of school. However, they are watching the storm to see if they will need to update their plans.
While the Bay area is not under any weather advisories, watches have been issued for much of south Florida. A hurricane watch has been issued for southwest Florida, starting with the Keys in the south and extending to Bonita Beach.
Monroe County, which encompasses the Keys and the southwestern tip of the Florida peninsula, is under a local state of emergency. Officials issued a mandatory evacuation order for visitors effective 8 a.m. Sunday. They've also asked visitors who had not yet arrived to postpone their trips.
On the other side of the state, a tropical storm watch has been issued for the east coast from Jupiter Inlet to Miami and around the perimeter of Lake Okeechobee.
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