Latest Hurricane News

Tropical Storm Fred Triggered Flash Flooding, Tornadoes in the East (RECAP)

At a Glance

Tropical Storm Fred soaked the Caribbean from Puerto Rico to Cuba.
Fred then made landfall in the Florida Panhandle.
Fred's inland flooding and tornadoes were destructive in the East.

Tropical Storm Fred soaked much of the Caribbean from the Virgin Islands to Cuba, then left a trail of flooding and tornadoes in the East after its Florida landfall.

The sixth named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season began as a disturbance approaching the Windward Islands, which prompted tropical storm watches on August 9.

Potential Tropical Cyclone Six - a designation given to a system forecast to become a depression or storm - finally become Tropical Storm Fred late on August 10 as it was centered just south of Puerto Rico.

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Fred, then tracked across Hispaniola, dumping flooding rain across parts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

After tracking near or over parts of Cuba, Tropical Depression Fred degenerated briefly into a tropical wave over the southeast Gulf of Mexico.

Tropical Storm Fred track history. Portions in black correspond to when the system was designated Potential Tropical Cyclone Six in the eastern Caribbean Sea.
(Data: NOAA/NHC)

Fred regained tropical storm status, then made landfall near Cape San Blas, Florida, on August 16 with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.

Winds gusted 50 to 65 mph along parts of the Florida Panhandle. A gust to 68 mph was observed at the Apalachicola Airport and gusts of 73 mph were reported near the Gulf Coast at Eastport and High Bluff.

There were several reports of trees downed in southeastern Alabama, with wind gusts over 40 mph. Dothan, Alabama, measured a gust of 45 mph.

More than 7 inches of rain was measured in Panama City, Florida. An apartment complex in Lynn Haven, Florida, flooded and displaced several first flood residents. Widespread flooding was reported in Southport, Florida, where just over 9 inches of rain fell. Vernon, Florida, reported 11.34 inches of rainfall from Fred.

But the most destructive flooding occurred in western North Carolina.

Four people were killed in Haywood County, where at least 15 bridges were destroyed.

Just over 8 inches of rainfall was measured in Helen, Georgia, while about 10 inches of rain fell near Black Mountain, North Carolina, with 8.4 inches reported at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

The National Weather Service confirmed 29 tornadoes were spawned by Fred, all EF0 or EF1, from Georgia to Massachusetts.

One tornado damaged homes in Americus, Georgia.

(MORE: Fred Impacts Parts of South, East)

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

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