Rick Scott issues storm warning for Northeast Florida

Gov. Rick Scott warned people living in Northeastern Florida to pay attention to a storm brewing in the Atlantic Ocean.

The state Division of Emergency Management has been receiving regular updates from the National Hurricane Center about Invest 93L, a disturbance off the Florida coast, Scott said.

At first forecasters doubted it would amount to much.

“Now, after rapidly intensifying over the past few hours, the storm has a 40 percent chance of development and Floridians must prepare for the possibility of a tropical depression or storm impacting Northeastern Florida,” Scott said in a written statement Monday.

“Just as with Hurricane Hermine, I encourage Floridians to get prepared and visit FLGetAPlan.com,” Scott said.

If the system does develop into a tropical storm, it likely would be named Julia.

The system could bring between 2 and 6 inches of rainfall during the next couple of days along the Interstate 95 corridor between Daytona Beach and the Georgia line, Scott said.

Occasionally gusty winds, rip currents and possible waterspouts were possible, plus heavy rain for portions of the Panhandle.