FORT PIERCE — Tropical Storm Imelda was churning northward in the Atlantic on Monday morning, bringing rough surf and rip currents along Florida’s east coast as schools in St. Lucie, Indian River and Martin counties reopened after the weekend.
The National Hurricane Center said Imelda was about 295 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral at 5 a.m., moving north at 8 mph with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. Forecasters expect the storm to strengthen and possibly become a hurricane Tuesday as it curves northeast, away from the U.S. coastline.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect only for Atlantic waters off Florida’s east coast, including offshore of the Treasure Coast, and extending northward along the state, per the National Weather Service of Melbourne. A tropical storm warning for counties on the Treasure Coast expired last night.
No direct landfall is forecast in Florida, but officials urged caution along beaches, where swells and dangerous rip currents are expected through much of the week.
Rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches, with isolated higher amounts, are possible across parts of northeast Florida and the Carolinas through Tuesday, according to the hurricane center.
Public schools in St. Lucie, Indian River and Martin counties resumed classes Monday but are closely monitoring the storm’s progress, district officials said.
The system was also expected to bring heavy rainfall to the northwestern Bahamas, which remained under a tropical storm warning, and to generate minor coastal flooding from Florida through the Carolinas.
Swells from Imelda and nearby Hurricane Humberto are expected to intensify along the U.S. East Coast, creating what forecasters warned could be life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.