Storm Threatens Tampa Bay’s Independence Day Plans

As the city strings up flags and preps for fireworks, Tampa Bay stands beneath an ominous sky. The promise of celebration is thick with tension, as meteorologists issue unsettling predictions: a “Rainy Independence Day in Tampa Bay” is all but certain.

From the National Hurricane Center, warnings trickle like early raindrops—an approaching system may stir trouble along Florida’s east coast. “Regardless of where anything develops,” says meteorologist Matt Anderson, “the main impact here will be rainfall.” With up to 8 inches expected across the region, this year’s Fourth of July may come cloaked in clouds instead of starbursts.