Quote: I suppose even if the storm does stay offshore along the west coast of FL we will still feel it, correct? Being on the eastern side is not the place to be? If it was quite a ways out in the gulf no worries but i am thinking it will hug the coast...any ideas on that?
If the present forecast track, along the West Coast of FL, proves to be the track the storm takes. Florida will take a heck of a beating. Even a Tropical Storm running the length of the Coastline will damage infrastructure to some degree. Western Coastline is at least 5 degrees long. That's over 300 miles of damage at some level. Add the Eastern Semicircle of the Storm being onshore for the 300 miles and you have raised the damage factor quite a bit.
I haven't looked at an intensity forecast since early yesterday afternoon. At that point the SHIPS was forecasting 92knots.