Category 1 Hurricane Eta closes in on Florida, Tampa airport to close: Latest

November 11, 2020November 11, 2020 WKXA

ABC NewsBy MAX GOLEMBO and EMILY SHAPIRO, ABC News

(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Eta, a Category 1, is closing in on Florida where it’s expected to make landfall early Thursday as a tropical storm.

A hurricane watch is in effect in Tampa Bay, where a storm surge of up to 5 feet is possible.

Heavy rain and gusty winds are moving into the Tampa Bay area where conditions are expected to worsen throughout the day.

On Wednesday evening, wind gusts in Tampa could reach 70 mph.

Tampa International Airport is suspending all operations at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Operations are expected to resume Thursday by noon.

OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO- View of then TS #Eta’s center of circulation during @NOAA WP-3D Orion #NOAA42 Kermit’s Nov. 10, 2020 mission. Credit: Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Doremus, NOAA Corps. Follow @NHC_Atlantic for latest forecast. #FlyNOAA pic.twitter.com/mdzgamvBfg

— NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (@NOAA_HurrHunter) November 11, 2020

A tornado watch has also been issued for Tampa, Fort Myers and Naples.

By Thursday morning, the heaviest rain and wind will have left Tampa and will be hitting Florida’s east side, from Jacksonville through Daytona Beach.