By Julie Pace and Crystal Lauderdale

6:05 a.m., Downtown Tampa
We’re driving through downtown Tampa when the first rain drops start to fall. We’ll call it a sprinkle. The impact of Ernesto is expected to be minimal in Hillsborough County, so we’re following the rain east to Polk County.

6:30 a.m., Hillsborough County-Polk County Line
As we cross into Polk County, the rain has already begun to pick up. It’s no heavier than an average summer storm at this point, and doesn’t seem to be keeping people off the road. The westbound lanes of Interstate 4 are already busy, as early morning commuters head to Tampa.

6:40 a.m., Polk Parkway
The Polk Park Parkway is relatively empty, and the rain is picking after a brief interlude. Our destination: Bartow.
We stop to talk to Lois Archangel, a toll booth worker about the storm.
“I’ll worry about it when it gets here,” she says, as she collects our $1 toll.

6:50 a.m., Bartow
Welcome to Historic Bartow, where the clock tower. The sun is starting to rise so we’re able to get a better look at rain, which is falling at a consistent rate. I just found out that photojournalist Crystal Lauderdale didn’t bring a rain coat with her this morning. She claims to have ponchos stored in the back of her car (one that smells a little moldy) but I’m not buying it, considering she’s out in the rain taking pictures without one right now.