Tropical Storm Threatens Fla. Coast, Ga.
MIAMI — Tropical Storm Ophelia strengthened Wednesday off Florida's Atlantic coast, following an erratic path that threatened parts of the state and southern Georgia with heavy rain and strong winds.
Less than two weeks after then-Category 1 Hurricane Katrina hit South Florida, tropical storm warnings were posted along a 100-mile stretch of the state's central-Atlantic coast, from Sebastian Inlet to Flagler Beach.
This NOAA satellite image taken Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2005, at 3:15 a.m. EDT shows clouds associated with Tropical Storm Ophelia spinning off the east coast of Florida. The storm is expected to move gradually up the Florida coast. Tropical Storm Nate can be seen east of Ophelia and Tropical Storm Maria can be seen further to the north. Over land, a thin band of clouds can be seen over the Upper Midwest and into the Central Plains. Clouds in South Dakota are associated with scattered thunderstorms. (AP Photo/NOAA)
The storm's sustained wind increased to 50 mph, and forecasters said it could reach hurricane strength. Ophelia was nearly stationary about 80 miles east-northeast of Cape Canaveral at 2 p.m. EDT.
Forecasters warned that the slow-moving Ophelia's path remained uncertain. Some computer models have the storm moving to the east and away from the coast, others have it going west, closer to shore, and some show it heading east and then looping back toward the state.
"Anything is possible," said Lixion Avila, a hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Up to 5 inches of rain were expected over the next few days from central Florida to southeastern Georgia, with some isolated areas possibly getting 8 inches.
Ophelia, the 15th named storm of the Atlantic season, was expected to gradually intensify and could reach hurricane strength, with winds of at least 74 mph, by Thursday, hurricane center meteorologist Eric Blake said.
Florida has been hit by six hurricanes in the past 13 months, including Katrina, which crossed South Florida on Aug. 25, killing 11 people, before devastating Louisiana and Mississippi as a Category 4 storm last week.
Two other active storms intensified into hurricanes, and Nate could pass near Bermuda by Thursday, forecasters said.
Nate, with sustained winds of 85 mph, was centered about 215 miles south-southwest of the island and was drifting north-northeast. It was not expected to threaten the United States.
Hurricane Maria, which earlier was downgraded to a tropical storm, still had winds of 80 mph, according to new observations. It was moving northeast near 14 mph toward colder waters.
Nate is the sixth hurricane in a busy Atlantic hurricane season. The season began June 1 and ends Nov. 30. Peak storm activity typically occurs from the end of August through mid-September.
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