Torrential rain and widespread flooding will continue today as tropical rainstorm Fay remains parked over the Deep South. Meanwhile, the latest tropical depression has formed in the central
Caribbean.
The
AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center reports that Fay is still a tropical rainstorm dumping torrential rain
across parts of the Southeast.
Early today, the center of Fay was nearly stationary, about 75 miles south of Jackson, Miss.
The combination of the stalled storm and a moist flow off the Gulf of Mexico will lead to significant rainfall and serious flooding across parts of the Southeast.
Alabama will be hit the hardest, with an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain expected through Tuesday. Some areas in Alabama might receive over 6 inches of additional rain.
Flood and flash flood
watches and warnings are in effect for much of the Southeast.
In addition to heavy rainfall, isolated tornadoes are possible, mainly east of the center. While the maximum sustained winds are relatively low, the well-defined circulation of Fay will create the
twisting motion that could spark tornado development.
Two unconfirmed tornadoes were reported in Alabama on Sunday; however, there were no reports of injuries or damage. On Saturday, at least one person was injured and several houses were damaged by
three unconfirmed tornadoes in northern Florida and one in southern Georgia.
The
East Regional News story reports that a broad area of high pressure over the Midwest and Great Lakes is
preventing Fay from moving north.
However, the high will slide to the east through Tuesday, allowing Fay to slowly move to the north and East.
The jog to the north will spread some heavy rain into parts of the Tennessee Valley by midweek. Some of the hardest-hit drought zones in the Southeast will receive substantial rain that could help to
ease the lengthy drought.
According to a U.S. Drought Monitor report released on August 19, 2008, northeastern Georgia and the western Carolinas remain in extreme to exceptional drought conditions. The core of heavy rain will
likely go to the west of the worst drought-stricken areas.
Strong surf and dangerous rip currents will continue to pound the central Gulf Coast today, especially where a strong onshore flow exists.
The storm is directly blamed for 36 deaths overall, most in the Caribbean. Eleven people died in Florida, one in Georgia and one in Alabama. Four people died in traffic accidents and two others
drowned in strong surf on Florida's east coast. On Saturday, a teenager drowned in Cairo, Ga., after being swept away by flood waters near a drainage area.
Tropical Storm Fay dumped as much as 2 feet of rain on Florida last week. Rainfall totals in Florida as of 1 a.m. CDT include:
 |
| Stranded residents are ferried out after tropical storm Fay flooded their Timber Lake neighborhood on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve
Cannon) |
- Melbourne Beach, Fla.: 25.28 inches
- Cocoa Beach, Fla.: 24.38 inches
- Cape Canaveral, Fla.: 22.83 inches
- Near Palm Bay, Fla.: 21.00 inches
- Thomasville, Ga.: 17.43 inches
- Near Coolidge, Ga.: 12.03 inches
- Camden, Ala.: 6.55 inches
- Eufaula, Ala.: 6.26 inches
- Beaufort, S.C.: 5.84 inches
- Troy, Ala.: 5.65 inches
- Auburn, Ala.: 4.05 inches
- Starkville, Miss.: 2.88 inches
Floridians may not have much time to recover from Fay. A tropical wave south of Hispaniola has developed into Tropical Depression 7.
At 11 a.m. EDT, TD-7 was located about 260 miles southeast of Port au Prince, Haiti. Maximum sustained winds are at 35 mph with higher gusts. The depression is moving northwest near 15 mph.
Tropical storm watches and warnings are in effect across the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The center of the depression is expected to near or over southwestern Haiti on Tuesday. Heavy rain on the
island could lead to potentially life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.
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