FLORIDA - Tropical Storm Emily had plenty of wet weather and strong winds to drop off in southern and central Florida as it passed over the state during Monday night and into Tuesday. Hitting the Island of Anna Maria off Florida's west coast Monday morning around 11 a.m. EST, Emily consistently caused winds of up to 45 mph and several inches of rain as it traveled westward.

Having warranted a tropical storm warning from the National Hurricane Center on the West coast and in 31 Florida counties, according to CNN, Emily drenched Sarasota, Florida, with nearly 4 inches of rain Naples with 2 inches, and about an inch in Miami. In some isolated areas, as much as 8 inches of rain fell in 48 hours, according to the National Weather Service.

Along with rain, Emily caused locally gusty winds and thunderstorms, as well as rough surf along both the East and West coasts of central and southern Florida. Brief tornados and rip currents were also present during the peak of the storm, AccuWeather shared. Florida Gov. Rick Scott said at during a news briefing yesterday that 18,000 homes and businesses lost power, mostly in Manatee County.

As Emily crosses back over into the Atlantic, forecasters share that the storm is likely to regain strength, even potentially becoming a hurricane by midweek. As the storm continues to affect produce-rich areas in Florida and beyond, AndNowUKnow will continue to report.