Eta heads to Florida 8:37
(CNN) -
Florida's coastline is bracing for Tropical Storm Eta after it hit the Keys with life-threatening storm surge and flooding.
The storm made landfall on Lower Metacumbe Key Sunday night with maximum sustained winds of 104 km / h, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Eta is expected to become a hurricane from Monday night to early Tuesday morning as it moves toward Florida Bay.
More than 23 million people in South Florida are under some type of hurricane or tropical storm warning, with 21 counties in a state of emergency.
By early Monday morning, more than 30,000 customers are without power as the storm continues northward, according to Poweroutage.us.
Tropical Storm Eta makes landfall in the Florida Keys
Eta heads to Florida 8:37
Before the storm, many schools in South Florida closed Monday and bridges were closed in anticipation of strong winds.
Hurricane-force wind gusts could linger through Monday afternoon, according to a hurricane warning issued by the National Weather Service.
Heavy rains and winds will extend from Miami to Naples through Tuesday, and a storm surge of up to 1.2 meters is possible in parts of South Florida and the Keys.
Flooding is also expected along low roads and properties throughout the region, as heavy rains, around 5 to 12 centimeters, are forecast, and some areas will see more than 30 centimeters of precipitation for the duration of the storm, this week. .
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Eta is expected to make landfall again just north of Tampa on Friday as a tropical storm.
Florida schools close, shelters open as state prepares for Eta
At least five school districts in South Florida, including Miami-Dade, will close Monday due to the potential impact of Eta, the districts announced on social media.
In Miami-Dade, all bridges were closed Sunday, according to Mayor Carlos Giménez.
He said the area anticipated winds of 144 to 216 km / h, from Sunday night through Monday afternoon, as well as the possibility of tornadoes.
Pet-friendly shelters were also opened in Monroe County, home to the Florida Keys, before the storm, according to a tweet from the county, and Covid-19 protection protocols are strictly enforced.
Collier County also suspended all Collier Area Transit (CAT) bus service on Monday due to forecast high winds, the county said on Twitter.
In Oakland Park, heavy rains and flooding already have the city's public works system "at or near capacity," according to Oakland Park Public Information Officer David Rafter.
"The Oakland Park Public Works and Parks staff has been working through the night and all day addressing flooding issues to the best of our ability," Rafter said in an update.
Boaters are also warned to stay out of the water, as extremely strong winds can cause dangerous waves that "would likely capsize or damage boats," according to NWS.
An early winter storm will hit the western U.S. this weekend
Eta leaves Honduras underwater 2:03
Third landfall for Eta
Eta has already made landfall at least twice before, in Cuba, on Sunday morning, and as a Category 4 hurricane in Central America, last week, still recovering from its aftermath.
There are emergency plans for disasters in Cuba and Mexico, and relief efforts continue in Guatemala and Honduras, which have been the hardest hit so far.
In Honduras, 38 people have died, eight people are still missing and more than 60,000 have been evacuated from their homes, according to the country's Permanent Contingency Commission.
Guatemala's National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) reported on Saturday that 116 people are still missing, mainly due to the landslide in the remote village of Quejá, in the central region of Alta Verapaz.
At least 8,938 people have been evacuated and 5,780 remain in temporary shelters, the agency said.
This is the 28th named storm of the 2020 hurricane season, tying the record for the number of named storms in a single season, set in 2005.
Although the season has been extremely active, Eta is the first named storm to make landfall this year in Florida and the twelfth named storm to make landfall on the continental United States this season, the most in a year.
Tropical storm Eta