8 AM Update on Emily

Little has changed in Tropical Storm Emily since 5 PM Tuesday. As of 8 AM Wednesday, the storm has sustained winds of 50 mph and is heading westward. We are expecting the storm to move northwestward later this afternoon and evening, directly impacting Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Because of Hispaniola's mountainous terrain, Tropical Storm Emily is forecast to weaken but re-intensify as it moves over the Caribbean's warm water. The storm track continues to move east and away from the Florida coastline. Collier and Lee counties are no longer in the 5-day forecast cone, but Highlands, Glades and Hendry remain on the outskirts. The storm of course bears watching as forecasts can and do change, but as of now, the storm is not expected to directly impact Florida.

-KW