Tropical Storm Emily nears Florida's west-central coast

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tropical Storm Emily churned toward the Florida Gulf Coast at the mouth of Tampa Bay, forcing Gov. Rick Scott to declare a state of emergency for 31 counties as the storm threatened to dump heavy rain when it crosses the peninsula in coming hours.Rain began falling around midnight in St. Petersburg on Florida's west coast and had barely let up by mid-morning Monday, making for a soggy rush hour. More rain was on the way as the storm system was expected to head inland