Archived Events: Tropical Storm Fay

At 11:00 PM on August 20, 2008, the National Weather Service issued a Tropical Storm WARNING for our area. The WARNING was estimated to be in affect throughout the day today. At 8:00 AM this morning, TS FAY was located near latitude 29.1 N, longitude 80.7 W, or about 240 miles south of Chatham County near Daytona Beach, FL with very little movement reported over the last few hours. A slow motion toward the west-northwest is forecast to begin later today and continue for the next couple of days. This track will move TS FAY slowly across the northern Florida Peninsula and very near the Gulf Coast of the Florida Panhandle by early Saturday.

Bands of rain or “squalls” being generated by and extending from TS FAY will directly affect weather conditions in our area throughout the day today. Intermittent periods of heavy rains and strong winds, with gusts near 35 mph are possible within these arriving squalls. 1-2 inches of rain are possible which may cause some coastal flooding, especially during periods of high tides.

Possible local conditions include:

Coastal Chatham County – Thursday, August 21
• Winds along the coast 20-30 mph, gusts to 35 mph.
• Winds may cause damage to trees and power lines.
• Isolated threat of tornadoes possible.
• Possible storm surge of one foot.
• Minor to moderate beach erosion.
• Moderate to high rip currents.

Inland Chatham County – Thursday, August 21
• Winds 10-20 mph with no significant impact.
• Flash flooding is possible.
• Isolated threat of tornadoes possible.

It would be prudent to complete checks of emergency supplies, reviews of established hurricane plans and availability of assets, resources and personnel. Responsible Agencies should continue sharing information as appropriate.

The Emergency Operations Center is not activated.