Tropical Storm Fred makes landfall in Florida Panhandle; Tropical Depression Grace among 3 storms raging in Atlantic Basin – USA TODAY

• Mid-Atlantic states could also see drenching rains.
• Texas could be a target of Grace on the Gulf Coast.
• A few tornadoes were possible from Tropical Storm Fred in Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

Tropical Storm Fred made landfall Monday near Cape San Blas, Florida, in the eastern part of the Panhandle after roaring across the Gulf of Mexico.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. 

Fred was one of three storms swirling in the Atlantic Basin. Lining up behind Fred were Tropical Depression Grace, which drenched the Dominican Republic and earthquake-battered Haiti Monday, and Tropical Depression Eight, which formed late Sunday near Bermuda.

The National Hurricane Center predicted that the depression near Bermuda would strengthen into Tropical Storm Henri, and a tropical storm watch was in effect for the island.

Fred takes aim at Florida, Alabama

Along Panama City Beach in Florida’s Panhandle, lifeguards hoisted double red flags, warning beachgoers against going into the Gulf of Mexico. The area braced for rain and some wind from the storm, and although no evacuations were ordered, schools and government offices were closed Monday. 

“We’ve certainly been in a lot worse than this, but that’s no reason to be complacent,” Florida’s Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said. “The less people out on the road, the better. We do expect some heavy rain from this storm.”

A few tornadoes were possible later Monday across parts of the Florida Panhandle, southwest Georgia and southeast Alabama, the hurricane center said.

Fred’s drenching rains could sweep into the mid-Atlantic states

Portions of the South could see up to 4-8 inches of rain with isolated maximum storm totals of 12 inches, the hurricane center warned Monday. Southeast Alabama through western and northern Georgia and the western Carolinas could be drenched with 4-7 inches of rain with isolated maximum storm totals of 10 inches. 

Through Wednesday, portions of Virginia and other mid-Atlantic states were forecast to see 2 to 4 inches of rain with isolated maximum storm totals of 6 inches as Fred interacts with a nearby front, the center said.

The heavy rainfall could lead to flash, urban, small stream and isolated river flooding, the center said. Even some landslides were possible along the Blue Ridge mountains on Tuesday.

Fred’s center is forecast to dissipate by Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service said. 

‘Life-threatening’ Fred: Tropical storm closing in on Florida 

‘Life-threatening’ storm surge possible

The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the Panhandle’s coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline, the hurricane center warned. Storm surge could reach 5 feet in some areas.

“There is a danger of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland,” the center said.

Tropical Depression Grace closes in on Dominican Republic, Haiti

As of 2 p.m. Grace was centered 70 miles southeast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and moving west-northwest at 12 mph. Heavy rains from the storm pushed across Haiti, the hurricane center said. Top winds were about 35 mph, a few miles per hour short of tropical storm status. Grace was expected to regain tropical storm status Tuesday.

Rain also fell in Puerto Rico on Monday as Grace pushed into the area.

Grace was forecast to move over Hispaniola throughout the day Monday, and the hurricane center predicted rainfall of up to 15 inches could cause flash and urban flooding and possible mudslides for Haiti and the Dominican Republic through Tuesday.

In Haiti, rocked by a massive earthquake Saturday that killed at least 1,300 people, first responders and volunteers scrambled to rescue survivors as the storm moved across the country.

Texas could be Grace’s US target

Grace is expected to emerge in the Gulf of Mexico this week, and the U.S. Gulf Coast could be a target. AccuWeather forecasters said they are monitoring the atmospheric conditions and how they could influence where Grace will track into the weekend. These factors include the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as winds at various levels in the atmosphere.

“Should no other weather systems in the southern United States steer Grace off-course, the tropical system may take aim at Texas,” AccuWeather said.

Far southern Texas remained in Grace’s potential forecast path, but the storm appeared more likely to impact Mexico, according to the latest forecast from the hurricane center, issued Monday morning.

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Tropical Depression Eight develops near Bermuda

Tropical Depression Eight had maximum sustained winds around 35 mph and was about 140 miles southeast of Bermuda as of Monday afternoon. It was “almost a tropical storm,” the hurricane center said.

The system was expected to make a “slow clockwise turn toward the west” over the next few days, forecasters said in an advisory. The center of the depression was forecast to move southeast and south of the island territory.

Though early in the storm’s development, forecasters did not expect the storm to reach the U.S. coast.

Contributing: The Associated Press