...only the following from the Tampa NWS:

Saturday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high around 86. Windy, with a east wind 17 to 20 mph increasing to between 25 and 28 mph. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. Windy, with a southeast wind between 29 and 32 mph, with gusts as high as 51 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Sunday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 8am. Mostly cloudy, with a high around 89. Windy, with a south wind between 15 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

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This is consistant with a hurricane well to the west, 100-150 miles. You can expect tropical storm winds and associated rain if the forecast track holds.

There is a useful URL at

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/145724.shtml?tswindloop?

Which should relieve you a bit. Being in a TS, bad enough, is NOT the same as being in the eyewall of a Cat III hurricane. Flooding of low-lying areas due to the rain, some tree and limb damage and possible power outages are the most likely result of this kind of a brush with Dennis. Again, this is based upon a forecast track which actually hasn't changed too much in the last two days. It looks about 25 miles closer than yesterday but still well offshore of Tampa Bay area.

Your best bet is to relax, take a deep breath, ensure your car is gassed up, just in case the NHC is drastically wrong, and keep posted. North of us, up in the panhandle, the outlook is not so 'rosy' by comparison, unfortunately but the advice is the same but includes evacuation plans and boarding up windows and for sure, food and water supplies, full gas tank and medications for a week or two if needed.

Richard