Caribbean storm could worsen Florida's Zika outbreak

Liz Szabo

Florida is bracing for a double whammy from Mother Nature, with a tropical wave in the Caribbean threatening to balloon into a tropical storm or hurricane just as the region is fighting outbreaks of the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

The unnamed storm could hit Florida and the sodden Gulf Coast over the next few days, possibly as a tropical storm or hurricane, meteorologists say.

Such a storm would make it harder to control the Zika outbreak, which has grown to 43 cases in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. Zika poses the greatest threat to pregnant women and their fetuses, who can develop devastating birth defects if infected by the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said state emergency officials are monitoring the Caribbean storm, but haven't activated the state's emergency operations center.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/08/25/hurricane-heavy-rain-could-spread-floridas-zika-outbreak/89351052/

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The wife and I were seriously considering moving to the St. Pete/Clearwater area. Thankfully we didn't.