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Florida storm Fay is a damb squib Tropical storm hugs Florida coast
(1 day later)
The US state of Florida has breathed a sigh of relief after Tropical Storm Fay failed to strengthen into a hurricane, as feared, upon reaching the mainland. Tropical Storm Fay is continuing northwards, with northern Florida and much of Georgia set for a drenching, the US National Hurricane Center says.
The storm drenched the south-west coast of Florida, flooding streets and downing trees, but no serious injuries or deaths were reported. Fay is following an erratic path, hugging the Florida coastline, instead of heading out over the ocean.
Fay - which is packing winds of 65mph (100km/h) - left at least 58,000 people without power across the south. Forecasters say this makes it less likely that Fay will strengthen to a hurricane, but parts of north Florida and Georgia are still on alert.
The storm was blamed for at least a dozen deaths in the Caribbean. Fay was blamed for at least a dozen deaths in the Caribbean.
In Florida, several tornadoes were reported, with one ripping through Brevard County damaging more than 50 homes. A state of emergency had been declared for what is the sixth tropical storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, but officials dropped the hurricane warning early on Tuesday after Fay made landfall near Naples on Florida's west coast.
A state of emergency had been declared for the sixth tropical storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, but officials dropped the hurricane warning early on Tuesday after Fay made landfall near Naples. The storm brought drenching rain and winds of 65mph (105km/h) across the state.
At 1500 local time (1900 GMT), the centre of the storm was about 15 miles (24km) west-south-west of Okeechobee and moving north-north-east. Several tornadoes were also reported, with one ripping through Brevard County damaging more than 50 homes.
Fay drenched parts of Cuba but its passage over Haiti and the Dominican Republic was more destructive, with more than a dozen deaths reported. Fay then reached Florida's east coast at 0200 local time (0600 GMT) on Wednesday, about 15 miles (24km) south-southeast of Melbourne. Its maximum sustained winds remained near 50mph (80km/h).
At 1200 GMT, the centre of Fay was close to Cape Canaveral, moving northwards at 5 mph (8km/h) but its wind speed had lessened to 45mph (70km/h).
However a hurricane watch remained in effect for the east coast north of Flagler Beach, Florida, to Altamaha Sound, Georgia.
In south-east Georgia, Camden County officials sent out teams to clean out storm drains and ditches in preparation for possible flooding.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency has also started a 24-hour monitoring operation of the storm.
Hope for farmers
A forecast from the National Hurricane Center on Tuesday predicted that the storm's path would take it through Alabama over the weekend.
However, the heavy rain has not been bad news for everyone. Farmers in drought-hit areas of southern Georgia are hoping for a visit from Fay.
"It's very seldom we're hoping for a hurricane, but we are," said Randy Branch, a cotton and peanut farmer in south-east Georgia. "We need some rain pretty bad."
Initially, Fay drenched parts of Cuba, but its passage over Haiti and the Dominican Republic was more destructive, with more than a dozen deaths reported.