Fay on move toward Florida Panhandle

MIAMI, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Unpredictable Tropical Storm Fay pounded parts of northeast Florida Thursday as it crawled inland again, with strong rain and winds expected into Friday.

A tropical storm warning along the Florida east coast south of Sebastian Inlet has been discontinued, but a tropical storm warning remained in effect from Sebastian Inlet northward to the Savannah River at the Georgia-South Carolina border, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

A tropical storm watch was still in effect along the Florida Gulf coast from the Suwannee River to Indian Pass.

At 8 p.m. EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Fay was just west of Flagler Beach, Fla.

The storm was drifting toward the west at about 2 mph and was forecast to move to the west or west-northwest, perhaps picking up some speed. At that rate, Fay would move slowly across the Florida panhandle Thursday night and early Friday and reach the panhandle coast by late Friday or early Saturday.

Top winds were clocked at 60 mph with higher gusts, but some weakening was expected Thursday night and Friday.

The once-stalled Fay was expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 5-10 inches across the central to northern portion of the Florida Peninsula, southern Georgia and southeastern Alabama, the report said.

Power lines were down in storm areas and many schools were closed until next week. There were wide areas of flooding and more expected and high winds forced closings of some Intracoastal Waterway bridges.

Steve Letro, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service in Jacksonville told the Jacksonville Times-Union it was going to be "a prolonged rain event."

In South Florida, where water reached to the roofs of cars, Brevard, Glades and St. Lucie counties all reported serious flood-related problems: water trapping residents in their homes, overwhelmed sewage systems seeping into yards and power outages, The Miami Herald reported.

The worst of the rain had moved out of Port St. Lucie, as Fay lumbered just a few miles east of Daytona Beach on Thursday morning, about to make a rare third landfall in Florida.

It was expected to move west across North Florida on Thursday and Friday, drenching everything in is path.

Among the expected flood points is the often troubled Black Creek in Clay County. Where the creek's waters are expected to rise above the 16-foot flood stage Friday and hit 20 feet by Saturday. Homes along the creek begin flooding at 19 feet.