Starting Friday, shoppers in Florida emerging from coronavirus stay-at-home orders can avoid paying sales taxes while putting together disaster-preparation stockpiles for the 2020 hurricane season.

Tropical Storm Bertha has formed.

NOAA predicts a 60% chance of an above-normal season.

Life-threatening surf and rip currents will spread along U.S. East coast beaches in the days ahead as Tropical Storm Arthur kicks up ocean swells offshore, the National Hurricane Center warned on Monday.

Tropical Storm Arthur has formed off the east-central coast of Florida.

Tropical Storm Arthur has formed off the east-central coast of Florida.

With hurricane season beginning June 1, Palm Beach County and the Florida Department of Transportation are taking advantage of lower traffic volumes to conduct a hurricane preparedness exercise.

Tropical storm force wind gusts are possible in the Florida Keys, southeast Florida and the Bahamas on Friday and Saturday, forecasters said.

Officials say now is the time prepare and come up with solutions to help keep residents safe.

An area of low pressure is expected to develop this weekend a couple hundred miles northeast of the Bahamas.