Fred has become a tropical storm again during its passage through the southeastern Gulf of Mexico and it is expected that in the next few hours warnings will be issued for part of the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, while some areas of the Caribbean prepare to the impact of Tropical Storm Grace.
The National Hurricane Center predicted that Fred will cross the Gulf before reaching shore Monday night or Tuesday morning.
Forecasters said that people in the region between Alabama and the central Florida Panhandle
should monitor the development of the phenomenon.
How and when will Fred affect the United States?
Aug. 12, 202101: 38
[Tropical Depression Fred is expected to strengthen before passing through Florida]
Authorities issued a tropical storm watch from the Alabama-Florida border to Ochlockonee, Florida.
On Sunday morning, the system's maximum sustained winds increased to 40 mph
(about 65 kph).
In anticipation of Fred, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
declared a state of emergency for the state's Panhandle region.
And Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statement Saturday saying her Administration monitors the weather and "will be ready to act from the state level if necessary."
As of early Sunday morning, Fred's remnants were located about 450 miles (725 kilometers) south-southeast of Pensacola, Florida, and were moving north-northwest at 8 mph (13 kph).
A man walked through the flooded streets of the Moscow neighborhood, Dominican Republic, on August 12, 2021. EFE
[Tropical Storm Fred hits Puerto Rico with heavy rains and heads toward the Dominican Republic]
On Saturday, Fred was downgraded to a tropical wave state so intense winds and rains were expected, but when it became a storm again, safety forecasts for all people who are in the areas of its influence are maintained.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Grace was 150 miles (245 kilometers) southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Sunday morning.
Forecasters said
it will bring heavy rains over some areas of the Lesser and Greater Antilles in the coming days.
Grace has maximum sustained winds of around 65 kph (40 mph).
The storm was moving west-northwest at 16 mph (26 kph).
Tropical Storm Fred causes severe flooding in the Dominican Republic
Aug. 12, 202100: 19
[How to prepare for a hurricane?]
Both Grace and Fred, regardless of their status on the storm scale,
pose a strong threat of rain and flooding,
forecasters said.
Grace could cause about 3 to 6 inches (7.5 to 15 centimeters) of rain in the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, through Tuesday.
Fred was forecast to trigger 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rainfall in Florida's Big Bend and the Panhandle from Sunday night through Tuesday.
Fred passed through Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where he
left some 400,000 people without power
and caused floods that forced authorities to shut down part of the country's aqueduct system, cutting off water supplies for hundreds of thousands of people.
This is the possible path of Tropical Storm Fred
Aug. 11, 202101: 45
[Dos and don'ts during and after a hurricane]
Local officials reported that hundreds of people were evacuated and some buildings were damaged.
On Saturday, the Emergency Operations Center (COE) of the
Dominican Republic declared a state of alert for the 32 provinces of the country,
before the next arrival of Tropical Storm Grace.
Ten of these demarcations, including the National District, have been placed under red alert, eight in yellow and 14 in green alert.
Storm Grace was located about 780 kilometers east-southeast of eastern Dominican Republic, moving at about 26 mph (about 43 kph) and with maximum winds of 40 mph (about 65 kph), the COE said in a statement.
The institution asked citizens to follow the guidelines of civil protection organizations, identify the shelters managed by the Civil Defense, and specifically focused on those who reside
in high-risk areas because they live near rivers, streams and ravines
.
The authorities recommend taking the necessary precautionary measures against possible floods and flash floods.
With information from AP and EFE