[Andria Hall, Cnn Anchor:] The National Hurricane Center in Miami is hard at work tracking this tropical storm for us. Director Max Mayfield has been joining us all night long. But right now we have Hugh Cobb, who's standing by with an update. Hugh, what do you have?
[Hugh Cobb, National Hurricane Center:] Well, as of 8:00 p.m., the center of Tropical Storm Gordon is about 25 miles southwest of Cedar Key, Florida, expected to make a landfall within the next hour to two hours.
[Hall:] OK, and Hugh, with this particular tropical storm we know that it is diminishing, is this a time for people to get relaxed?
[Cobb:] Not at all, absolutely. People should keep their guard up. It is a very strong tropical storm, we've only lowered the winds 5 miles an hour from 75 to 70 miles an hour. Even though it is a tropical storm, we're still anticipating a storm surge of 5 to 8 feet to the right of where the center makes landfall. So folks along the Florida west coast should not by all means lower their guard, and expect a storm surge within the next several hours as we see Gordon come ashore.
[Hall:] And Mr. Cobb, with a storm surge as you described it, perhaps 5 to 8 feet, what kind of damage could that potentially do?
[Cobb:] Well, we're talking the inundation of structures right along the beaches. That same area in Florida witnessed a 10-foot storm surge during the storm of the century in 1993. The area is very prone to storm surges, there are quite a few structures along and very near the beaches, and so those structures can expect to be inundated with a 5 to 8 foot storm surge.
[Hall:] So one to still be watching and be careful by all means. Forecaster Hugh Cobbs, thank you very much for joining us with from the National Hurricane Center Brian.
[Brian Nelson, Cnn Anchor:] And hundreds of folks in the Cedar Key area are in temporary shelters right now, and Carrol Miller of the American Red Cross is coordinating shelter relief efforts and she joins by phone. Ms. Miller, describe the conditions for us. How many people have you sheltered this evening?
[Carrol Miller, American Red Cross:] Well, the American Red Cross has sheltered about 500 people since yesterday. We've had up to 34 shelters open and people are still coming in tonight out here just outside of the Cedar Key area.
[Nelson:] Where most of your shelters right along the western coast of Florida, up near Cedar Key?
[Miller:] Yes actually they started all the way down in Tampa and they've gone all the way up the coast.
[Nelson:] All right, the have people been in there for quite a while, or are they just now starting to rush in?
[Miller:] Well, no. Actually, a lot of people came in at noon today and they've stayed all day. Several have left after they've heard of the downgrading of the storm, but then we've had several more come in as the storm moved through their area. And we just actually just got done with a real pretty major rainstorm and we expect more coming this way of course.
[Nelson:] You said 500 people have been sheltered since yesterday. That does not seem to be a high number of people. Does that indicate to you that people are not taking the seriously enough?
[Miller:] Well, actually it's more a matter of the way that the stats are compiled. They're usually compiled officially once a day and those numbers were from about 12 or 1 today. So we might see that number go up overnight. But the people that are here in the shelters tonight do plan on staying, and we have a lot of people with special needs here.
[Nelson:] OK, Carrol Miller of the American Red Cross, coordinating the relief efforts in the Cedar Key area.