Florida
Storm Total Rainfall from Fay in the United StatesDuring seven days in Florida, August 18–24, 2008, fourteen people died and thousands of homes plus roads were damaged, from 60-mph (97-km/h) winds and rain waters up to 5 feet (1.5m) deep, with flooded rivers or tornadoes, as Fay traveled through the entire state: heading northward from the Florida Keys, turning westward off Daytona Beach, and finally leaving the Pensacola area into Alabama, early on August 24. Returning from Mississippi towards Tennessee, Fay continued to dump heavy rains around Pensacola, Tallahassee, and Panama City, Florida even during August 25.
While Fay was moving across South-Central Florida, a tornado, rated EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale,[31] took place after landfall in Wellington, Florida, where significant damage was reported including doors and windows blown off houses, many trees knocked down and reports of a weak building destroyed.[32] Another tornado damaged 51 homes with nine of them rendered uninhabitable in Barefoot Bay.[33] According to the St. Lucie County Public Safety Department, about 8,000 homes were damaged from flooding.[34] The city of Melbourne shattered a 50-year-old rainfall record after receiving 11 inches (28 cm) of rain in a 24 hour period.[35] About 80 neighborhoods in Melbourne were flooded, and a "couple hundred" homes in southeast Melbourne were filled with three to four feet of water, according to a press statement.[36] A tornado touched down in Stuart on U.S. 1 at Monroe Street, flipping a truck and damaging a gas station.[37] A 28-year-old kite surfer was critically injured in Fort Lauderdale when winds associated with a Tropical Storm Fay feeder band slammed him face-first into the ground and then dragged him through streets until he hit a building, which was filmed by a WFOR camera crew.[38]
Flooding on Merritt Island, Florida during Tropical Storm FayAreas of the state received up to 25 inches (64 cm) of rain, causing serious flooding. Native wildlife, including alligators, were seen in flooded neighborhoods after high water forced them from their habitat. Hundreds of homes were flooded in Brevard and St. Lucie counties; some locations were inundated with up to 5 feet (1.5 m) of standing water.[39] Early estimates from Brevard county show $10 to $12 million in damages to homes and infrastructure.[36] Tropical Storm Fay resulted in the drowning of one person swimming off Neptune Beach and another swimmer in Duval County. Meanwhile, another 3 were killed in traffic accidents.[40] On August 21, President George W. Bush declared the entire state of Florida a Federal Disaster Area.[41] Seminole County also got hard hit by floods. Seminole County Public Schools were closed due to many roads being impassable. Many rivers in the county such as the St. Johns River, the Econlockhatchee River, and the Little Econlockhatchee River jumped their banks. Riverside Park in Oviedo is under four feet of flood water due to the Little Econlockhatchee River. On the evening of August 22, a tornado damaged four homes and a bridge in Lake Wales.[42]
After moving into the Florida Panhandle, five more people were killed as a result of Fay in Florida (all indirect)[43], including an electrocution which happened to an electrical worker doing repairs in Gadsden County.[44] Total damage from Fay is unknown, but preliminary estimates from some individual counties indicate a damage total of at least $180 million (2008 USD).[45][46]"
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