Not only was Memorial Day hit by the rainy weather, but from the looks of it, Monday’s trip back home is going to be quite challenging. The tropical storm Beryl is expected to bring heavy rain and winds. As North Florida is waiting to be hit by Beryl, the U.S. National Hurricane Center is concerned by risk of floods in the southeastern U.S. coast.
From northeastern Florida to South Carolina, the tropical storm Beryl is expected to dump heavy rain and bring strong winds. With the southeastern U.S. coast under threat of floods, Memorial Day celebrations might be put off.
In Florida, the storm hit land around 12:10 a.m. on Monday with winds that reached 70 mph. The U.S. National Hurricane Center informs that Florida and Georgia will see rain and winds on Monday too, so better make sure you stay away from all that holiday traffic.
On late Sunday, forecaster Al Sandrik explained during the audio briefing: “We’re seeing about the best that Beryl has right now as far as its winds are concerned, with winds about 70 mph”. So, although the worst seems to have past, the storm will continue all through Monday and even Tuesday. However, as Sandrik explains, “the model shows significant weakening of the storm in 12 hours”.
Also, according to forecasts from the U.S. National Hurricane Center, Beryl is expected to dump 4 to 8 inches of rain and even a maximum of 12 inches. Based on that, authorities are worried that the southeastern U.S. might be flooded. The rain would add to the high tide to flood northeastern Florida and Georgia with 2 to 4 feet of water. The concern is slightly minor for southern South Carolina, with the high tide and storm surge to bring 1 to 2 feet of flooding.
Rick Scott, Governor of Florida, announced authorities are prepared to deal with Beryl, but residents should be aware of the risks too. On Sunday evening, Scott said: “Tropical Storm Beryl is expected to bring heavy rain and winds, and it is vital to continue to monitor local news reports and listen to the advice of local emergency management officials”.
According to an estimate by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Beryl is just the beginning. Another four to eight hurricanes and nine to 15 registered storms are expected to hit North Florida.
