Tropical Depression Grace drenched earthquake-damaged Haiti on Monday, threatening to dump up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain on the southern peninsula. At the same time, a reinvigorated Tropical Storm Fred is closing in on the northwest coast of Florida.
As of the 8:00 a.m. advisory from the NHC, Grace was about 125 miles (200 kilometers) southeast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and moving west at 15 mph (24 kph). Top winds are expected to remain around 35 mph (55 kph) until it approaches Jamaica on Tuesday.
With up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of steady rainfall and more in isolated areas, flash floods and mudslides were possible in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Tropical Storm Fred has continued to strengthen as it heads toward landfall along the Florida Panhandle Monday evening.
As of the 8:00 a.m. advisory from the NHC, Fred was about 90 miles south-southwest of Apalachicola, Florida, on Monday morning, moving toward the north at 9 mph (15 kph) with maximum sustained winds of up to 60 mph based on aircraft investigating the system.
The warm waters of the Gulf are likely to allow Fred to gain even more wind intensity as it travels northward. Water temperatures over the eastern Gulf of Mexico are in the upper 80s, which will favor the strengthening.
Fred’s main threats are rainfall — anywhere from 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) for Florida’s Big Bend and Panhandle — and storm surge.
High water between 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) could enter the area between Indian Pass and the Steinhatchee River, depending on the tide at the time of Fred’s arrival.
Tropical Depression Eight has formed and is forecast to become Tropical Storm Henri while taking a circular path around the islands of Bermuda this week. With maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, it is moving to the south at 9 mph this morning.
