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Flood watch in effect in Tampa Bay area

Posted Jul 1, 2009 by Leigh Spann

Updated Jul 1, 2009 at 05:23 AM

A flood watch is in effect through the evening hours today in the Tampa Bay area. The region is expecting another day with widespread storms, and some could produce locally heavy rain. 

The National Weather Service says one to two inches of rain is likely and three to five inches of rain could fall in some isolated areas.  This rain could lead to street flooding. The area may also experience swollen rivers, such as the Manatee or Little Manatee, tonight and Thursday. 

There is a stalled front that remains draped across the Bay area that will help spark showers and storms throughout the day.  With deep tropical moisture in place, those storms will produce heavy rain.  The southwest winds off the Gulf of Mexico will push the showers from the coast toward the inland areas.

Rain chances taper down through the rest of the week.

During Tuesday’s showers, a few areas picked up more than three inches of rain, but many places saw close to an inch of rain.  Also, an EF-0 tornado was confirmed near Carrollwood about 3 p.m. Tuesday that brought down trees and power lines.  To read more about this tornado, click here.