Fay spares fishing tourney
PANAMA CITY BEACH - As Tropical Storm Fay meandered off Cuba's coast Sunday, organizers of the Grand Lagoon National tournament revealed a few changes prompted by the cyclone.
Forecasters late Sunday predicted the center of Fay would make landfall near the Tampa Bay area Tuesday night. However, the National Hurricane Center's potential track area for the storm included parts of the Panhandle and Big Bend regions.
Meteorologist Jason Kelley agreed with a Tampa Bay-to-Cedar Key landfall forecast, although he cautioned the Panhandle is not yet out of danger.
"Until it gets by us, there's a need to watch it," said Kelley, chief meteorologist for News Herald media partner WJHG News Channel 7. But, he added, "With the data I've seen (Sunday), I'd be shocked if (landfall) were west of Apalachicola."
Citing this reduced threat to Panama City Beach, Grand Lagoon National organizers Sunday made a few "minor" changes to the tournament's schedule but said the event largely will go on as planned.
Tournament founder Bill Spann said events planned for Wednesday were moved to Thursday, and the charter and party boat events that had been slated for Thursday instead will take place Friday.
"We regret any inconvenience that arises from the modifications we have made to the tournament's schedule, but we feel a compelling responsibility to assure that fishing occurs on hospitable seas and that the festival proceeds absent threats of severe weather," a statement on the event's Web site said. "With these priorities foremost in our considerations, we look forward to keeping our promise of hosting a spectacular tournament and the party of the year on Panama City Beach."
Watches issued
Fay, the sixth storm of the 2008 Atlantic season, was expected to strengthen to a hurricane by the time its center crossed Cuba and began approaching the Keys. Fay already has killed at least five people after battering Haiti and the Dominican Republic with weekend torrential rains and floods.
At 10 p.m. CDT, the storm's center was located about 235 miles south-southeast of Key West and was moving northwest about 10 mph after having stalled a few hours off Cuba's southern coast. Maximum sustained wind speeds were near 50 mph.
A hurricane watch was in effect for most of the Keys and along Florida's west coast to Tarpon Springs in the Tampa Bay area. A tropical storm watch also was in effect for the southeast coast of Florida from Ocean Reef north to Jupiter Inlet.
Meanwhile, Florida Keys officials closed schools, opened shelters and urged visitors to leave Sunday, but residents and some tourists seemed in no hurry to evacuate.
Traffic leaving Key West and the Lower Keys on Sunday afternoon was light but steady as the sky darkened with storm clouds and the National Weather Service issued watches and warnings.
"We've seen worse than this in Omaha," said Diego Sainz, who was visiting from Nebraska with his wife and friends. They had intended to leave Sunday but couldn't get a flight out.
Authorities said traffic was heavier in the Upper Keys, where the 110-mile, mostly two-lane highway that runs through the island chain meets the mainland. The Florida Highway Patrol sent extra troopers to assist, and tolls were suspended on parts of the northbound turnpike.
Fay could start pelting parts of the Keys and South Florida late today or early Tuesday as a strong tropical storm or minimal hurricane. Aside from wind damage, most of the islands sit at sea level and could face some limited flooding from Fay's storm surge.
Forecasters said rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches with maximum amounts of 10 inches were possible for the Florida Keys and South Florida.
Officials in the Keys and elsewhere planned to open shelters and encouraged or ordered people who live in low-lying areas and on boats to evacuate.
Keys officials earlier Sunday had issued a mandatory evacuation order for visitors and asked those who had not yet arrived to postpone their trips. Officials said hotels and businesses won't be forced to remove visitors, but they should use common sense.