Jacksonville-area live updates: Tropical Storm Eta moving offshore

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The First Alert Weather team is tracking Eta as it moves across northeast Florida Thursday. Click here to watch live updates regarding the storm on FOX30 and CBS47.

QUICK FACTS:

• Tropical Storm Eta made landfall for the second time early Thursday morning along the Big Bend of Florida.
• Eta will continue to weaken as it moves across Northeast Florida through midday.
• Our area will see a few scattered showers and heavy downpours, along with some gusty winds.
• A tropical storm warning is in effect for some local counties.

RELATED: How to stay informed about the storm with Action News Jax | Download the Action News Jax News app and First Alert Weather app

Nov. 12, 2020

11:45 a.m. Update: Eta is moving offshore after passing right over Jacksonville. Massive waves have been crashing along the seawall in St. Augustine all through Thursday morning.

Across the state, cleanup begins for the Tampa Bay area, as police in Clearwater Beach are assessing the damage from the storm.

9:54 a.m. Update: Eta is currently in Duval County.

6:55 a.m. Update: The storm’s center is moving across north Florida and is still producing heavy rains and gusty winds over portions of the northern Florida Peninsula. Winds are at 45 mph.

5:45 a.m. Update: A power outage is affecting nearly 1,800 Clay Electric customers in Putnam County near the Palatka area, according to the outage map.

4:26 a.m. Update: Tropical Storm Eta made landfall near Cedar Key, Florida at 4 a.m. with winds at 50 mph. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Clay, St. Johns, Baker, Union, Bradford and Putnam counties.

Nov. 11, 2020

10:00 p.m. Update:

6:15 p.m. Update: Nomi Health has closed the State of Florida COVID-19 testing site in Regency Square Mall on Thursday due to Eta.

5:15 p.m. Update: Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene said the district has decided to switch to online instruction through Duval Homeroom for Thursday.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST ETA RELATED SCHOOL CHANGES

3:15 p.m. Update: Union County School District: Schools will be closed Thursday. The school district posted the following statement on its website:

"Due to the most recent projections of Hurricane Eta and out of an abundance of caution for our students and staff, the Union County School District will be closed on Thursday, November 12, 2020. Students will return to school on Monday, November 16, since they were already supposed to be out on Friday, November 13, due to a Staff Professional Development Day.

"Faculty and staff are scheduled to return to work on Friday, November 13. As of now, the football game scheduled for Friday, November 13, is still be played as scheduled. You will be notified of any changes. Please monitor the district website as well as your school’s social media site for updates.

“Please take the necessary precautions for you and your family.”

2:40 p.m. Update: The Bradford County School District said schools will be closed Thursday. The district released the following statement:

"Due to potential flooding and the possibility of tornadoes associated with Tropical Storm ETA, all Bradford County public schools will be closed on Thursday, November 12, 2020.

“We are continuing to monitor the situation and will provide further updates when new information is available.”

2:15 p.m. Update: Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, including Fort Caroline National Memorial, Kingsley Plantation, Cedar Point, Theodore Roosevelt Area and Spanish Pond will be closed as of noon Thursday as Eta approaches.

The projected forecast and potential for tornadoes, high winds, flooding, extreme high tides and downed trees, will likely create hazardous conditions.

The preserve will remain closed until assessments of damage and risks to the public are completed. Current status will be posted as an alert on the park’s website.

2:10 p.m. Update: Clay County Emergency Management officials said the Clay County School District is waiting until 5 p.m. to make a call on how schools will proceed on Thursday. The ground in the county is already saturated, so concern is flooding, trees down, and some power outages.

Watch the full live briefing below:

1:46 p.m. Update: Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, Sheriff Mike Williams and the Emergency Preparedness Division are expected to give an update on they city’s storm preparedness efforts at 5:05 p.m. We will air the update live on FOX30 and CBS47.

1:05 p.m. Update: Eta has downgraded from a Cat. 1 hurricane to a tropical storm.

1 p.m. Update: Florida Sen. Rick Scott released the following statement, urging Floridians to take Hurricane Eta seriously and be prepared for the storm:

“As we know, severe weather can change very quickly and should not be underestimated, so every Florida family must take Hurricane Eta seriously, get prepared NOW for any impacts and listen closely to your local officials for updates. Floridians should have their emergency kit ready, with food, water, medications and emergency supplies, as well as everything you need to stay safe from the coronavirus, like masks and cleaning supplies. Right now, this is a large, fast-moving storm heading toward Florida’s West coast, bringing life-threatening storm surge along our Gulf Coast and heavy rainfall throughout most of the state. I’ve been speaking to National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham for updates throughout the week, and remain in constant contact as we continue to monitor this storm. We must take this storm seriously – Floridians need to stay vigilant and stay tuned to your local news, don’t put yourself or your family at risk.”

Read more on how to protect yourself and others from the coronavirus while preparing for a storm from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) HERE and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) HERE.

See the latest on Hurricane Eta from the National Hurricane Center at nhc.noaa.gov or @NHC_Atlantic on Twitter, and from the Florida Division of Emergency Management at floridadisaster.org or @FLSERT on Twitter.

12 p.m. Update: Clay County officials will give an update regarding the storm at 2 p.m. Action News Jax will stream it live here.

11 a.m. Update: Tampa International Airport said it is suspending operations beginning at 3 p.m. because of Hurricane Eta. Click here to contact your airline for flight status updates.

7:46 a.m. Update: Eta has re-strengthened and is now a hurricane again with winds up to 75 mph. It is currently offshore of southwest Florida. Eta is expected to weaken before landfall Thursday.

Download the FREE First Alert Weather app for severe weather updates straight to your phone

4:18 a.m. Update: Tropical storm watches have been issued for parts of our viewing area: Bradford, Clay, Putnam, and St. Johns counties.

Winds are up to 70 mph for Tropical Storm Eta, according to the latest advisory.

LATEST TRACK:

Cox Media Group