Strong storms move out of SWFL; wind speeds to increase

A line of strong storms that brought heavy rain and gusty winds are moving out of Southwest Florida.

The NOAA National Weather Service issued coastal flooding and severe thunderstorm warnings at noon. Watch for high surf along the coast.

There were reports of a couple tornados touching down in Central Florida. SWFL has also seen several tornado warnings which have since expired.

It’s a good idea to bring in any outdoor holiday decorations that are not tightly tied down as strong winds will increase into Friday.

After the storm moves through, winds sustained at 20-25 mph is expected, with gusts to 40-50 mph tomorrow.

EFFECTS OF WIND

Bridges close when sustained winds reach 40 mph.

High winds could cause power outages. You can check the status on an outage map here: Florida Power & Light | Lee County Electric Cooperative

Flights could be affected by high winds. Check the arrivals and departures from Southwest Florida International (RSW) and Punta Gorda (PDG) airports before heading out.

HEAVY RAIN AND CHOPPY WAVES STORM MARCO ISLAND

Large waves have been crashing along Marco Island Thursday. The Gulf is typically calmer than the Atlantic Ocean, but today the choppy waves have things looking much different.

“You just have to see how it goes,” Keith Defever said, a Marco Island resident. “It’s never anything to really worry about you know.”

Defever did not let the storm stop him from walking along Marco Beach.

“It’s nothing,” Keith Defever said. “It’s fun to watch. It’s a little different. The sand hurts a little bit when you get pelted by it, but that’s about the worst of it.”

For Marco Island visitors, they are trying to make the most of their vacation as the storm moves through bringing more rain, wind and waves.

“We’re used to different weather in Minnesota,” Julie Kraus said, a Marco Beach visitor. “This is great. It’s warm.”

“We get hail and tornadoes — that you got to worry about,” Douglass Willaby said, a Marco Beach visitor. “But rain, I guess we don’t know if you get hail here or not, I assume not so.”

Homeowners who live in Marco Beach full time, like Barbra Prigge, know what to expect. Prigge knows how quickly a storm can get bad, so they took every precaution with their outdoor furniture and decorations.

“It’s scary,” Barbra Prigge said, a Marco resident. “We’re going to take some of the animated stuff in because you know we can’t replace it and years to come we still want to have it.”

Some said it is too late.

“We’re kinda taking this too lightly,” Joe Spalla said, a Marco resident. “Everyone from what I see, there’s no one putting storm shutters up and I got a feeling that they’re hoping it blows over.”

STORM DAMAGE IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY