Fay hits Florida again

2008-08-21 17:14

Port St Lucie - Tropical Storm Fay hung offshore on Thursday and poured more rain on Florida's central Atlantic coast after flooding hundreds of homes, trapping residents and leaving much of Florida a soggy mess.

Alligators, snakes and other wildlife were spotted in some flooded neighbourhoods after high water drove the animals from their normal lairs.

Forecasters expected the storm to continue hitting the state for a third time in a week, and Georgia, but did not think it would strengthen to a hurricane over the Atlantic.

Water was still high on Thursday in much of southern Brevard County and officials feared the northern sections would be inundated next.

"In the past we've usually had flooding in pockets. I have not seen anything this widespread throughout the county," Prosser said.

About 10 200 homes and businesses in Brevard County were without power early on Thursday, and about 134 people spent the night in shelters, she said.

"We can't even get out of our house," said Billie Dayton of Port St Lucie, as waters lapped at her porch. "We're just hoping that it doesn't rain anymore."

Fay could dump 76cm of rain in some areas of Florida and the National Weather Service said nearly 64cm had already fallen near Melbourne, just south of Cape Canaveral.

In Jacksonville, residents were told to expect the brunt of the storm later on Thursday. With schools, government offices and many businesses closed, streets were quiet and traffic was light at what would normally be the start of rush hour.

The National Weather Service said isolated flooding was possible in southern Georgia, where Fay was forecast to dump 7 to 15cm of rain if it followed the predicted path south of the Georgia-Florida border on Friday.

- AP