Tropical Storm Fay is lingering just off the northern Florida coast, further punishing the waterlogged southeastern U.S. state with more torrential rains.
Fay has already caused widespread flooding in St. Lucie and Brevard Counties in central Florida, deluging hundreds of homes, leaving thousands without power and prompting rescues.
Forecasters say Fay is off the Atlantic coast this Thursday morning, about 30 kilometers east of Daytona Beach.
The National Hurricane Center says the storm is barely moving, but predicts Fay will slowly move west-northwest later Thursday.
The storm is expected to cross back into Florida Thursday and reach the state's panhandle near the Gulf of Mexico by early Saturday.
Forecasters say the storm has maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour and could dump 76 centimeters of rain in some areas as it moves across northern Florida.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect for northern parts of Florida and the neighboring U.S. state of Georgia. Forecasters warn that Fay may produce isolated tornadoes.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
