ATLANTA — All eyes are on Tropical Storm Fred as it brings heavy rain into Georgia. The storm made landfall near the Florida panhandle Monday afternoon.
Severe Weather Team 2 says the storm will move north into Georgia Tuesday and dump several inches of rain in some areas.
We’re going over the timing and the areas that will see the most rain, on Channel 2 Action News
Fred’s winds reached as high as 70 mph over the 86 degree waters of the Gulf Coast.
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Here’s what you need to know:
- Fred will bring widespread rain, chance of strong/severe storms to Georgia
- Flash Flood Watch goes into effect beginning Monday night for much of north Georgia
- Areas could see up to several inches of rain on Tuesday
[INTERACTIVE: StormTracker 2HD Radar]
Channel 2′s Tony Thomas was in Panama City Beach as the storm made landfall Monday.
Some vacationers in the area are still going on strolls along the beach, saying they aren’t too concerned about the tropical storm.
“We go through tornadoes all the time, so it can’t be that much worse,” said Kyle Maples.
“First time I’ve been in a tropical storm, hopefully we don’t see much,” said Tom Kern.
Local authorities warned residents and tourists to either get out of Panama City Beach or stay off the roads. Several inches of rain were expected along with winds pushing upwards of 50 to 60 mph. There’s a storm surge potential of 1 to 3 feet.
“Yesterday when we came, the waves weren’t too bad. But now they are bigger and I’m getting a little nervous,” said Lexi Carciak.
Double red flags lined the coast, and police threatened to arrest for anyone found in the water.
“We went and got food yesterday. So we are just going to hang out. Got some food, got some drinks. We are just going to watch the show,” said vacationer Ashley Countryman.
Tropical Storm Fred luckily made landfall during low tide Monday. The waters did get higher than usual, but were nothing compared to what it could have been during high tide.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH: Goooood morning! We're starting the day with some showers and storms now across the north Georgia...
Posted by Brian Monahan, WSB on Monday, August 16, 2021
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