Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has issued a state of emergency for his state's Panhandle region after Fred strengthened back into a tropical storm as it approached the United States.
The National Hurricane Center said Fred regained its tropical storm status in the Gulf of Mexico early Sunday just hours before Grace was demoted to a tropical depression. A new tropical depression also formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday night.
The storm - which weakened to a tropical depression, before regaining its strength as it hit the Gulf of Mexico, is set to hit the United States as early as Monday, according to forecasters.
They said people from Alabama to the central Florida Panhandle should monitor the system's progress.
A tropical storm warning is now in effect for the coast of the Florida Panhandle from Navarre to the Wakulla/Jefferson County line, meaning tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area in the next 24 hours.
A storm surge warning has been issued for part of Florida's Big Bend area - that's the spot on the Gulf Coast where the Florida peninsula turns west into the Panhandle.
Fred's maximum sustained winds stood at 50 mph (85 kph) Sunday night when it was located about 200 miles (325 kilometers) south of Panama City, Florida, and moving north-northwest at 9 mph (15 kph).
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey - whose state is also at risk of being hit by Fred - says her officials are monitoring the weather event and 'will be ready to act from the state level if needed.'
Meanwhile, another Tropical storm - Grace - has emerged just behind Fred, and is currently bringing heavy rain and winds to the Caribbean.
As of Sunday, the entire coast of Haiti was under a tropical storm watch
Grace is forecast to pass over Cuba on Tuesday, and could bring downpours to Florida and the Bahamas later this week.
The storm is currently forecast to travel across the Gulf of Mexico, and could also bring extreme weather to parts of Louisiana.
Fred had been downgraded to a tropical wave on Saturday.
Tropical waves can contain winds and heavy rain, but do not circulate around a center point or an 'eye' like a tropical storm or hurricane.
Meanwhile, Grace was demoted to a depression as its maximum sustained winds fell to 35 mph (55 kph), below the 39 mph (63 kph) threshold for a tropical storm. It was located about 260 miles (415 kilometers) east-southeast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday night.
The storm was moving west at 15 mph (24 kph).
Tropical storm warnings for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands were discontinued but a tropical storm watch was issued for the Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Haiti braces for Grace just days after a 7.2 earthquake left more than 700 dead, and close to 3,000 injured.
Both Grace and Fred posed a heavy rain and flood threat, forecasters said.
Rainfall totals around 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) were forecast from Grace for Haiti and the Dominican Republic, through Tuesday.
Tropical Storm Grace poses a heavy rain threat as it tracks through the Caribbean
City workers Pedro Manzanillo, left, and Juan Nunez fill sandbags at a drive-thru sandbag distribution event at Grapeland, Miami
Haiti is expected to see the impacts of Tropical Storm Grace, as it recovers from a deadly earthquate
City workers fill sandbags at a drive-thru sandbag distribution event for residents ahead of the arrival of rains associated with tropical depression Fred
Fred was forecast to bring roughly the same amount of rainfall to the Big Bend of Florida and the Panhandle.
The National Hurricane Center said that rainfall from Grace may lead to flash, urban and small stream flooding, along with potential for mudslides.
Fred was located early Sunday about 335 miles south-southeast of Pensacola, Florida, and moving north-northwest at 12 mph.
Grace had maximum sustained winds around 40 mph. The storm was moving west-northwest at 16 mph.
Grace was 85 miles south of San Juan, Puerto Rico on Sunday morning.
Forecasters said heavy rainfall from the system would fall over parts of the Lesser and Greater Antilles over the next few days.
Grace had maximum sustained winds around 40 mph. The storm was moving west-northwest at 16 mph
Haiti braces for the impacts of Grace just days after a 7.2 earthquake hit the country, killing at least 724 people
The death toll has risen to more than 700 people, with over 3,000 injured as survivors struggle to find food and water
Rainfall totals around 3 to 6 inches were forecast from Grace for the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, through Tuesday.
Fred was forecast to bring 4 to 8 inches to the Big Bend of Florida and the Panhandle from Sunday night into Tuesday.
Forecasters said Fred was expected to become a tropical storm again Thursday as it moved near the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas and then pass north of the northern coast of central Cuba on Friday.
Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi had closed government agencies on Tuesday at noon and officials noted that some gas stations had shut down after running out of fuel.
More than a month had passed since the last Atlantic storm, Hurricane Elsa, but this time of summer usually marks the start of the peak of hurricane season.
Fred regained its Tropical Storm status, after being downgraded to a tropical wave on Saturday
The National Hurricane Center said that rainfall from Grace may lead to flash, urban and small stream flooding, along with potential for mudslides
City workers fill sandbags at a drive-thru sandbag distribution event for residents ahead of the arrival of rains associated with tropical depression Fred
Tropical Depression Seven became Tropical Storm Grace over the weekend
Laura Molina, with the office of Miami City Commissioner Alex DÌaz de la Portilla, ties sandbags at a drive-thru sandbag distribution event for residents
Grace is predicted to hit parts of the southeastern United States with heavy rain and winds.
A tropical storm earlier in the week, Fred had weakened to a depression by its spin over Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where it knocked out power to some 400,000 customers and caused flooding that forced officials to shut part of the country´s aqueduct system, interrupting water service for hundreds of thousands of people.
Local officials reported hundreds of people were evacuated and some buildings were damaged.
Post a Comment