Fay stays put, flooding Florida's east coast

PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida -- Tropical Storm Fay stayed put off the east coast of Florida overnight, barely moving as it dumped more rain on the waterlogged state.

The deluge has flooded thousands of homes, prompting Florida's governor to ask for federal aid. Some residents were being ferried to safety on air boats.

The storm was expected to make its third landfall in Florida on Thursday, this time in the Jacksonville-Daytona Beach area, forecasters said.

At Cape Canaveral, NASA reported 21 inches of rain Wednesday, said Craig Fugate, Florida's emergency management director.

Fay could dump as much as 30 inches of rain in isolated areas, forecasters said.

As of 5 a.m. ET Thursday, the storm was just off the coast of central Florida about 20 miles east-southeast of Daytona Beach, the National Hurricane Center said.

The storm, with its 60 mph winds, was nearly stationary, but was expected to make a gradual turn to the north-northwest and crawl across the state as the day went on.

"The storm continues to be a threat to this community," Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton said at a Wednesday afternoon news conference. "Looks like the worst is still ahead."

The Navy announced late Wednesday afternoon it was moving several ships and aircraft out of Fay's path. Naval Air Station Jacksonville evacuated 24 P-3 Orion aircraft to military bases in Maine and Ohio.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has asked President Bush to declare an emergency in the state to free up federal funding.

The storm "is producing historic flooding across a large portion of Brevard County," Crist wrote in a letter to Bush. "Fay has and will continue to produce copious amounts of rain over a large portion of northeast Florida as the storm turns westward on August 21.

The governor pre-emptively declared a state of emergency last week.

Storm tides of 1 to 3 feet above normal are possible along the Florida's east coast, the hurricane center said, adding that isolated tornadoes are possible over portions of northeastern Florida and southeast Georgia.

On the southeast coast of Florida, Fay flooded hundreds of homes in St. Lucie County, authorities said.

Rescuers were using airboats and other means Wednesday to pick up stranded residents.

The severe flooding in St. Lucie County took authorities by surprise.

Meg Defore said that the first floor of her home was 14 feet above ground but that water had reached the top of her doors. She left in a small boat.

Near the north fork of the St. Lucie River, water gushed down streets and lapped at the doors of parked cars.

iReporter Bethany Schulstrom, 16, said water was up to people's knees in the streets of Port St. Lucie.

"They sent a warning to everyone not to leave [their homes] because the snakes are coming out of their holes and there's fish everywhere," she said.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect from Fort Pierce, Florida, northward to the Savannah River at the Georgia-South Carolina line.