Here we go again

Tropical Storm Tammy has formed off the east coast of Florida. This is what, the 20th tropical system of the year.

My part of Florida is just under a flood warning. We're safe here in Lantana. Central and Northern Florida are under a tropical storm warning. Tammy is expected to dump large amounts of rain.

Tropical Storm Tammy formed off the Central Florida coast this morning, with warnings issued from Cocoa Beach to South Santee River in South Carolina.

The National Hurricane Center said at 7:30 a.m. that the center of the storm was about 20 miles east of Cape Canaveral and moving to the north-northwest about 16 mph. The maximum sustained winds were about 40 mph.

A large area of coastline along Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina was being threatened by Tammy because it was unclear to forecasters where the storm will touch land.

"The center of Tammy will be moving nearly parallel to the east coast of Florida today ... Due to the angle of approach to the coastline ... the specific location and time of landfall of the center is uncertain," the hurricane center said.

Robbie Berg, a meterologist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said because Tammy will spend so little time over water, it is unlikely that it will reach hurricane strength of 74 mph.He said it is hard to forecast where Tammy will make landfall because it is moving parallel to the coast ``and one slight variation in its track could bring it onshore.''

Rainfall is expected to be 3 to 5 inches in most areas with some isolated spots getting from 8 to 10 inches. Tornadoes are also possible. The strongest winds and heaviest rains were detected far to the north and east of Tammy's center.

Meanwhile, a flood watch in in effect in South Florida through Friday morning because of a storm system that could dump five to eight inches of rain.