National

Tropical Storm Fred Expected to Hit Florida

Monday, August 16, 2021 1:39 pm | < 1 Minute Read

By Sara Marcus

City workers fill sandbags at a drive-thru sandbag distribution event for residents ahead of the arrival of rains associated with tropical depression Fred, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, at Grapeland Park in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Florida is bracing for 50 mph winds and heavy rainfall in the northern part of the state as Tropical Strom Fred gathers strength.

“Fred redeveloped into a Tropical Storm this morning. TS warnings have been issued from Navarre to the Wakulla/Jefferson county line. These areas should expect heavy rainfall & the possibility of flooding,” Governor Ron DeSantis tweeted.

Expected to make landfall Monday and to continue through Tuesday, Fred is expected to bring heavy rain and flash flooding to cities in the South, according to the Hill.

By the middle of the week, Fred will likely shift and travel north and inland, bringing heavy rain and the risk of flooding to Appalachia and the mid-Atlantic states.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned Fred could dump as much as 8 to 10 inches of rain in northern Florida.

“We’ve certainly been in a lot worse than this, but that’s no reason to be complacent,” Florida’s Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford told AP. “The less people out on the road, the better. We do expect some heavy rain from this storm.”

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smarcus@hamodia.com

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