What is Tropical Storm Fred? Florida Panhandle most likely landfall target this weekend
Tropical storm Fred is set to hit parts of Florida this coming weekend. Governor Ron DeSantis has warned residents to 'review their disaster plans'. The places that are most vulnerable include parts of South Florida, including the Florida Keys.Tropical storm Fred is the first named storm in the month of August.
Spreading awareness about the storm, the governor tweeted, "PTC #6 developed into Tropical Storm #Fred overnight. This is the sixth named storm of the season & could potentially impact Florida this weekend. While it’s too soon to determine exact impacts, Floridians should review their disaster plans." Along with the tweet, he posted a recent radar photo showing the storm trajectory drifting west, with the Suncoast region of the state occupying most of the storm’s cone. Here's all you need to know about the tropical storm Fred.
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PTC #6 developed into Tropical Storm #Fred overnight. This is the sixth named storm of the season & could potentially impact Florida this weekend.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) August 11, 2021
While it’s too soon to determine exact impacts, Floridians should review their disaster plans & follow @FLSERT for updates. pic.twitter.com/2jtimA0g9L
Which places are at risk of tropical storm Fred?
According to reports by the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Fred was 55 miles southeast of Cap Haitien Haiti and progressing at a speed of 15 MPH. The cone is expected to stay over Hispaniola overnight into Thursday, August 12. The Turks and Caicos Islands would get hit by the storm before it reaches Bahamas and then Cuba on Thursday, August 12 night into Friday. The winds dropped to 35 MPH from 40 MPH. Winds and rain could hit Florida by Friday and the storm might make landfall this weekend. According to the National Weather Service, tropical storm conditions were expected by Saturday, August 14 and multiple landfalls were expected in the state. According to National Weather Service, a storm progresses into a hurricane when the sustained surface winds climb to 74 MPH or more.
How many people are affected?
The Dominican Republic has already seen flash flooding conditions caused by Fred as of Wednesday, August 11 and other countries like Haiti and Cuba are expecting dangerously heavy rainfall. According to government officials, about half a million people were affected by heavy rainfalls which caused rising rivers that shut down part of the aqueduct system. Another 300,000 faced a power blackout.
When is tropical storm Fred expected to hit?
The storm is expected to turn northward on Friday, August 13, with a chance of hitting the west coast of southern Florida. Urban areas are facing a potential risk of 'rising river conditions' caused by Fred. According to NHC, Florida keys and southern Peninsula could see 3 to as much as 8 inches of rain brought on by "heavy rainfall". Ahead of tropical storm Fred's US landing, torrential conditions are expected in the ocean.