Watch: Home Collapses Into The Sea

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Schools were closing and shelters opening Wednesday afternoon along parts of Florida's Gulf Coast, including the Tampa Bay area, as the outer bands of Tropical Storm Eta began to lash the region with rain and strong winds.

Hillsborough County, which includes the city of Tampa, announced five shelters would be open as of 1 p.m. No evacuations have been issued, and the shelters were intended for residents dependent on electricity for medical needs or who live in homes vulnerable to wind damage, according to a news release from the county.

Residents were urged to use the shelters only as a last resort if they have nowhere else to go. Health screening and temperature checks will be conducted at the door and face coverings are required.

(MORE: Hurricane Eta Spreading Heavy Rainfall, Gusty Winds Into Florida Gulf Coast)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis included 13 additional counties in a state of emergency already in place due to Eta.

The effects of the storm were already being felt from Southwest Florida all the way up to north of Tampa Bay.

About 19,000 homes and businesses were without power across the region as of about 4:45 p.m., according to poweroutage.us.

Damage was being assessed after a boat broke loose and was knocked into the Matlacha Pass Bridge near Ft. Myers.

Several tornado warnings were issued in the region Wednesday afternoon. Winds between 44 mph and 67 mph were recorded from Lee County to Pinellas County, according to the National Weather Service's Tampa Bay office.

Police in Fort Myers advised drivers to use caution on flooded roadways.

Tampa International Airport announced it would suspend flight operations at 3 p.m. A news release from the airport said it planned to reopen by noon Thursday, but could do so earlier depending on conditions.

The Florida Highway Patrol closed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay due to high winds. Gusts of at least 46 mph were recorded on the bridge and traffic cams showed it shrouded in heavy rain. The bridge, which carries Interstate 275 across the mouth of the bay, was also closed Monday as Eta lashed South Florida and moved into the Gulf.

Hillsborough County schools are closed Thursday and Friday because buildings were being used for shelters. Pasco County schools were set to close at 1 p.m. and remain closed Thursday.

Other counties, including Hernando and Citrus, also announced closures.

Some districts transitioned to virtual learning programs put in place to cope with the coronavirus pandemic, while others canceled classes altogether.

Several collegs and unversities, including the University of South Florida and The University of Tampa, also closed.

Sandbag distribution sites were opened in several counties.

Eta made landfall in Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane on Nov. 3, then dumped torrential rainfall over Central America for days, leaving dozens of people dead or presumed dead in its wake. The storm moved into the Caribbean and across the Cayman Islands before making landfall in the Florida Keys Sunday night as a much weaker tropical storm. The storm is expected to weaken further before it makes landfall somewhere north of Tampa Bay on Thursday.

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