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Hernando Today

Gustav Causes Wind, Waves Along Florida Coast

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By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

Published: September 1, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - Before Hurricane Gustav made its approach toward the Louisiana coastline today, it had begun casting winds and waves that were felt Sunday in Florida.

Some gusts measured more than 20 miles per hour in Hernando County and the tide was one or two feet higher than normal.

The winds will subside, but water levels will remain high throughout the day today, meteorologists said.

"There will still be some rough surf," said AccuWeather.com forecaster Carl Erickson. "It will take some time before that returns to normal."

The higher tide from the storm will be in the 1 to 3 feet range, which means residents in Hernando Beach and along the shore have little to worry about, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jennifer Colson.

"The wave action is going to generate higher-than-normal water levels," she said. "That could cause some fairly minor coastal flooding. Usually, that kind of (surge) doesn't have much of an impact."

Nonetheless, the ripple effects from Gustav should deter people from getting in the water, Colson warned.

There will be some strong rip currents and high surf throughout the day, with waves possibly exceeding 10 feet near the shore, she said.

The activity from Gustav might have played a role in disrupting the formation of Tropical Storm Hanna, which was located 600 miles southeast of Miami as of Sunday night.

Nonetheless, Hanna was still expected to pick up steam in the next few days and could hit anywhere from Melbourne to Norfolk, Va., said Erickson.

"It's a pretty wide window right now," he said of the storm's possible landfall destinations along the Southeast. "We're honing in on the Carolinas right now."

The storm could hit the mainland by Friday or Saturday.

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5823 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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