Tropical Storm Fred made landfall in Florida Monday afternoon, bringing heavy rain and a dangerous storm surge to the coast of Florida's Panhandle as Tropical Depression Grace and newly formed Tropical Depression 8 prompted storm watches in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Bermuda.
Fred came ashore near Cape San Blas on Florida's panhandle shortly at 2:15 p.m. local time with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and north-northeast at 9 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.
Tropical storm and storm surge warnings were in effect for parts of the Florida Panhandle. Ten million people were under flash flood watches across parts of the Panhandle, Georgia and southeast Alabama.
The Florida Keys and southern Florida should brace for 3 to 5 inches of rain, and Florida's Big Bend and the Panhandle should expect 4 to 8 inches, with isolated places possibly getting more than a foot of rain.
Parts of Alabama, Georgia and the western Carolinas are due for 3 to 6 inches of rain.
Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center demoted Grace to a tropical depression as sustained winds fell to 35 mph, below the 39 mph tropical storm threshold.
Grace was about 70 miles east-southeast of Port Au Prince, Haiti, and moving west-northwest at 12 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory Monday. Jamaica and the entire coast of Haiti are under a tropical storm watch.
Rainfall is forecast to reach 5 to 10 inches through Tuesday, with isolated parts expected to get a maximum of 15 inches. Heavy rain could cause flash flooding and possible mudslides.
Over Cuba, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, 2 to 4 inches of rain, with isolated maximums of 6 inches, are expected through Thursday. Grace is forecast to move into the Gulf of Mexico by Friday.
Farther north, Tropical Depression 8 was forecast to become Tropical Storm Henri on Monday. The system formed about 135 miles east-northeast of Bermuda, prompting a storm watch for the island.
Tropical Depression 8 was traveling south-southwest at 9 mph, with sustained maximum winds at 35 mph. It was forecast to loop around Bermuda over the next 48 hours.
Tropical storm conditions are expected across the island Tuesday.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for the Panhandle region. And Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statement Saturday saying her administration was monitoring the weather and "will be ready to act from the state level if needed," NBC Miami reported.
Fred previously crossed Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, where it was shredded before it re-formed.
The National Hurricane Center previously said Grace was causing heavy rainfall in Puerto Rico and warned of flash flooding in the coming days in parts of the Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic.
After an earthquake killed more than 1,200 people Saturday, Haiti was bracing for the impact of Grace, which was forecast to bring heavy rain and strong wind Monday.
