Florida Battling Severe Storm: Flooding, High Winds, and Traffic Alerts

A powerful and unusual storm hit Florida, bringing heavy rain, high winds, and scattered power outages. The storm broke rainfall records in several areas, with unofficial totals reaching up to 5 inches. A non-tropical storm surge caused flooding in coastal and low-lying areas, with a surge of 3 feet reported in Fort Myers. The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda. As of 10 a.m., about 22,000 customers were without power statewide. The storm is expected to move up the East Coast, with a high risk of rip currents and a gale warning in effect offshore.